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SATCHEL SERIES. 1^, // 


Our 

Peggottics. 

To all Women who Appreciate the 
Situation. 


PRICE 25 CENTS. 


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OUR PEGGOTTIES 



NEW YORK 

THE AUTHORS’ PUBLISHING COMPANY 

BOND STREET 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by 
THE AUTHORS’ PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER L PAGE. 

A Shoet-Lived Deeam of Independence 9 

CHAPTER n. 

Pegqottt the First 13 

CHAPTER m. 

Baekis Appeaes 25 

CHAPTER IV. 

Petee Peue 42 

CHAPTER V. 

Peggotty is not Willin’ 62 

CHAPTER VI. 

Baekis Second moee Favoeablt Received 59 

CHAPTER Vn. 

Peggotty Fifth Ascends the Theone 67 

CHAPTER Vni. 

He’s Like Old Guggins 75 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Contested Will 80 

CHAPTER X. 

Peggotty Sixth on Deck 89 

CHAPTER XI. 

Peggotty Gets Funny 95 

CHAPTER Xn. 

Peggotty Sixth Geows Sentimental 98 

CHAPTER Xm. 

Peggotty Gets on hee High Hoese and Kesiah 
Rebels 102 


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PEEFIX 


“ Ottt of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh ” is veri- 
fied by the writing of this book. Until I had relieved my mind 
of the accumulation of disagreeabihties impressed upon it by my 
faithful and unfaithful “ Peggotties ” it was impossible for me to 
write of aught else ; and, rather than have one of the unkempt, 
saucy beings intruding herself into my scenic descriptions or 
philosophical debates, I have, like "Peggotty ” the Sixth, “made 
a piece ” that it is to be hoped will relieve my surcharged brain 
somewhat, and I trust now to be able to dip my pen in ink and 
have it run off the point in the vein I desire without constantly 
digressing from the subject to that of the deposed and disposed- 
of “Peggotties.” Were it not that I place such confidence in 
the whole-souledness* and magnanimity of the original “Peg- 
gotty ” I should fear lest I might have a nocturnal visit from her 
ghostship to demand satisfaction for the insult to her memory. 

But I have dubbed my hand-maidens the name they should 
have deserved, but did not. 

With this prefix I consign this book of woe to the unkind 
critics and kind readers with only a Yankee apology for its 
short-comings. How could a half-distracted and Peggottied-to- 
death woman do any better ? I couldn’t. Could you ? If so, 
please do, and he and I will read it, and send a copy to — “ Peg- 
gotty.” Eesignedly thine. 


( 5 ) 


Kesiad Shelton. 


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DEDICATED 


TO ALL WOlCAKKINB THAT CAN APFBECLATB 


THE SITUATION, 










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OUR PEGGOTTIES, 


CHAPTER I, 

A SHORT-LIVED DREAM OF INDEPENDENCE. 

“ Truth is stranger than fiction,” and upon the horizon 
of my life had suddenly appeared “a cloud somewhat 
resembling the appearance of a man’s hand,” that 
threatened to demolish my dream of contented old maid- 
ism, and I had meekly bowed acquiescence to my 
apparent fate ; therefore I, heretofore considered by all^ 
the predestined old maid of the family, was serenely pre- 
paring my bridal trousseau, and anticipating the happi- 
ness of presiding over the welfare of a certain youth, 
and his cozy “ story and a half” cottage that crowned 
the summit of a lofty hill which proudly overlooked a 
neighboring village. With the hereditary instinct of a 
New Englander, it was to be my pleasure to do this un- 
aided, although delicate in health. My own inclination 
led me to easily believe it would be “just nothing, only 
two of you,” as all my friends suggested. 

The instability and unreliability of help, was per- 

( 9 ) 


10 A SHORT-LIVED DREAM OF INDEPENDENCE. 

sistently pointed out to me by all my friends who were 
housekeepers, and I willingly believed them, and looked 
forward in full confidence to perfect success in my effort 
to be wholly independent, and therefore happy. 

The cottage was neatly and tastefully furnished, each 
room proudly displaying its pretty if not expensive car- 
pet, for I did not intend “ to do ” my work so carelessly 
as to find it a disadvantage to have even my kitchen 
carpeted. 

With what feelings of exultation did I enter upon 
even the most menial duties ! For was it not my very 
own ? Did I not hourly realize that my new furniture 
was not being robbed of its pristine freshness by the 
vandal hands of reckless servants ? My silver could now 
be freely used without the fear that it might be utterly 
ruined, lost or stolen each week. The food was properly 
cooked and well served on glossy, white, uncracked, and 
ungrazed dishes. When the ‘‘dinner things” were 
washed, and the dining-room brushed up, I could take a 
book or my work into the sunny parlor, and leave my 
care behind me in the kitchen realms to be taken up 
again at the proper time ; or, better even than that, 
could have “ my afternoon out ” without asking Bridget’s 
permission ! For it is to that we have come as a nation 
— the servants rule. 

A friend gave me her experience at an (non) “ intelli- 
gence ofiSce.” A girl was led forward for her inspection 
and criticism ; the smirking clerk, with an obsequious 


A SnOET-LIV£:j) BREAM OF INDEPENDENCE. H 


bow to the lady, presented Biddy with, “ She’s well re- 
commended, ma’am, by some of the first families.” Be-: 
fore my friend could finish her first inquiry, the girl, as 
if not hearing, asked her “ how large a family have ye, 
mum ? ” “ Three,” replied my friend, and again essayed 

an attempt to ascertain the girl’s qualifications, but failed 
as before. “ Have ye set-bilers, and are all your rooms 
carpeted ? ” Being answered, she next queried, Can I 
have a well furnished room all to myself ? and how many 
afternoons out do you usually expect the gurrl to let ye 
have, mum ? ” 

Before my friend could rally from her astonishment, 
the gurrl” dropped an impudent curtsy, saying, “I 
don’t think ye’ll suit me at all, mum ! ” 

I, by my bravery, was to escape the chains of slavery 
that servantdom had riveted around the fair white throats 
of my friends as firmly as the silver collar of ancient 
serfdom or the fool’s necklace of tinkling hells. Liberty 
forever I 

Sitting in my parlor of an afternoon I could glance 
contentedly around at the fresh carpet that could now be 
used all we wished, without fear that the frequent 
sweepings might ruin it, at the shelves and brackets, 
freely adorned with bric-a-brac too precious for con- 
stant exhibition, if one had servants, and then on into 
the sitting-room, from thence to the dining-room, and 
yes, still hirther, to the kitchen beyond — one pleasant, 
uninterrupted view — all neat and bright. No necessity 


12 A SHORT-LIVED DREAM OF INDEPENDENCE. 

for closed doors here ; the guest that had an unobstructed 
view from parlor to kitchen, would see naught to offend 
the eye. And had I not cause to he thankful that I 
was competent to do this, and did not feel it necessary 
to keep a cook and chambermaid to produce chaos from 
order, when I could do the whole and leave my after- 
noons undisturbed, except to ^‘get tea'’ for us two ? 

All things have an end, and so did my dream of home 
comfort, else I had had no story to tell. Even with my 
frail health it was long ere I found my work hard at all, 
for interest in one’s work makes the hands skillful, and 
saves many weary steps. 

Yet, as the years passed on, it was gradually impressed 
upon my unwilling mind that I was more than delicate— 
that confirmed invalidism confronted my future. 

How could I endure it ? 

What should we do — give up our home, and hoard ? 
That seemed the most reasonable to me t/ie7i, and I think 
so yet, hut he, of course, after the reasoning of the mind 
of man, could not “ see ” how we could board and relin- 
quish the comforts of a home. We must have help and 
get along the best way we could. But I knew that if the 
wheels of household machinery would not run smoothly, 
when guided by servants under the personal supervision 
of a careful housewife, they certainly would not, when 
left as much to themselves as I should be forced to leave 
them. But he thought we should do nicely ! 

We could do nothing^ however^ we thought, with the 


PEGGOTTY TEE FIEST. 


13 


ordinary class of help, and all our friends concurred in 
our opinion, and said ‘^you ought to have some one 
capable of taking charge of the work — a nice American 
woman that you can treat like one of the family” — in 
point of fact, a combination of friend and servant — one 
that would care for me in my frequent ill turns, and take 
an interest in the work and my comfort — a second “ Peg- 
gotty.” 

As we can not have what we hke. 

Let us like what we can have. ^ 

NEW VERSION OF AN OLD PROVERB. 


CHAPTER II. 

PEGGOTTY THE FIRST. 

Many weary weeks passed ere the perfect flower was 
found ; yet at last in a stray farm house was discovered 
an ancient maiden lady, that, at the early age of flfty- 
five, had recently been left a motherless orphan, and her 
friends advised her being taken by some ^'good” family 
where her assistance for a slight consideration would be 
acceptable. All agreed she was just the person we 
needed ; so this flower that had apparently been left by 
fate or unappreciating man, to waste her desert sweetness 
(that is not a mistake) on the air, was transplanted to 
our household, where her sweetness was expected to 
satisfy us even to satiety, and we in turn were to' show 


14 


PEGGOTTT TEE FIRST. 


our appreciation of the maiden, by making her welcome 
to our hearts and home. 

It was on a bright sunshiny day, when the sky was a 
bonny blue, the air as mild as June, and the rapidly 
greening grass was promising us the sweets of budding 
spring and blossoming summer, that a neighboring farm 
wagon rattled up to our gate and therefrom alighted an 
angular, sour-vi-saged maiden, or, in other words, the 
anxiously-expected “ Peggotty.” 

I relinquished my work and hastened to the door to 
welcome her (do not laugh — please remember she was 
not a ser?;aw^, but — “Peggotty”) with the utmost gra- 
ciousness, mingled with, as I intended, a slight amount 
of dignity, to satisfy my consciousness that I should 
still direct the helm. 

Her countenance struck me as a study for an artist. 
That expression of injured feelings must have been worn 
from childhood and have become chronic, methought, to 
have reached such a state of perfection. Her manner of 
returning my overtures at an acquaintance was that of 
one whom the whole world had conspired to injure, but 
who was firmly determined to bear it. 

Finding ordinary conversation a failure, I turned it 
upon her expected duties. She did “ not like to cook,” 
but would do anything else, and was very moderate in 
her demands for compensation, as a home was her object 
rather than an income. ’ 

Soon it was nearly tea time, and I went to the dining- 


PEGGOTTT TEE FIRST. 


15 


room to initiate her into her new duties, and soon saw 
that the maiden would not be a very apt pupil. At last tea 
was ready. I thought “ she is not much help to-night, 
at least,” but clung to the faith that this once would be 
sufficient upon my part ; next time she could do it alone. 

When he came I introduced “ Peggotty,” and the new 
trinity — he, I and “ Peggotty” — sat down to the evening 
repast. A feeling of inexpressible sadness oppressed me 
throughout the meal. It was a tempting spread, but I 
could not eat. I did not understand it then. I do now. 
It was the funeral feast over our dead and gone (never, 
never to return) home joys and comforts. When “ Peg- 
gotty” came in the spirit of household happiness floated 
out. 

After I showed “Peggotty” where to find the con- 
veniences for “ doing up ” the tea things, and he and I 
had retired to the sitting-room, leaving the door open, 
of course, for I was quick-witted enough to see that clos- 
ing the door would be received as “treated like a servant,” 
and so bravely renounced all future t^te-a-tetes with him 
or any one else, because now there would always be the 
question of “ Peggotty’s ” feelings to be considered. 

As we sat before the glowing anthracite fire in the 
wide-mouthed grate that was throwing out its pleasant 
heat this chilly spring evening, he was contentedly bask- 
ing in the pleasant fire-light, and in a low tone of voice 
congratulating himself on his superior judgment in de- 
ciding to “ keep house ” rather than endure the discom- 


16 


PEGOOTTY TEE FTRST. 


forts of boarding, and blessing bis luck in securing such 
a -worthy person, that -would assure to us our accustomed 
comforts free from the alloy, sure to be supplied by “ ser- 
vants ; ” as he was thus taking warm comfort in his self- 
satisfaction at the very palpable superiority of his plan, 
over that of his weaker half, my attention was distracted 
from his conversation to the sour looks of dissatisfaction 
that were darted from those glittering grey eyes through 
the open door at us, as /‘Peggotty” passed back and 
forth, from the dining-room to the kitchen, intent upon 
her clearing-up “duties.” These looks said as plainly 
as words to me, “ why don’t you come and ‘ wipe ’ the 
dishes.?^ (a true New Englander never ‘dries’ but always 
‘ wipes ’ the dish) ; I am as good as you are ; I did not 
come here as a servant^ 

“Ah,” thought I, “ it will be wisdom for me to profess 
blindness, as regards many things. But the leaven of 
suspicion on the ‘ equal rights ’ question is working.” I 
hinted as much to him : “ What nonsense. Of course 
she expects to do the work. She was hired for that. She 
only stipulated that she should be treated like one of the 
family. The work she knows she must do.” 

I was not so sure of it by the spiteful movements that 
I could hear now and then from the vicinity of the 
kitchen. 

Soon her duties were disposed of, and with a look of 
dissatisfaction that did not improve her not-otherwise 
attractive countenance, she returned to the sitting-room, 


PEGGOTTY THE FIRST. 


17 

and ensconcing lierself in a low rocker proceeded to make 
herself agreeable, by looking as unhappy as possible, and 
returning our attempts at conversing with her by mono- 
syllabic replies. 

The only voluntary remark that she made was when, 
upon observing my employment — that of tying worsted 
for lamp-mats — she jerked out, Then you are able to do 
fancy work ; I didn’t know as you done anything,^"* with 
the most perfect sneer imaginable. 

“ Oh, yes, such work is light and easy, and takes my 
attention from myself somewhat,” I pleasantly replied. 

“ ’Tisn’t everybody that can afford to waste their time 
simply to amuse themselves,” snapped she. 

‘^Ah, just as I thought, jealousy is paramount there,” 
said I to myself. 

She soon signified that she always went to ‘‘ bed 
early,” and after giving her directions for our simple 
breakfast, and telling her the breakfast hour, I piloted 
her to the chamber that I had set apart for the future 
use of my hand-maidens of which I was about to intro- 
duce to its hitherto peaceful precincts No. 1. 

True to my principle of treating them like one of the 
family, the little room was furnished with a tasteful cham- 
ber set — bright carpet, snowy curtains at the windows, 
prettily tinted paper on the walls — and, as I set the lamp 
down on the bureau, whose drawers were all freshly 
lined with paper, and at her full disposal, and threw 
open a door giving a view of a neat clothes closet, with 


18 


PEGGOTTY THE FTBST. 


its double row of books, and broad shelves also for her 
sole use and behoof thereof, I bade her good nighty 
thinking that she never had so good a home before, and 
might well be thankful that she could obtain one, ham- 
pered only by the light duties of our household. 

The following morning dawned as sweetly as though 
this world was all brightness. He arose and, as was his 
custom, built the fires, filled the tea-kettle, and I heard 
him go out upon the piazza whistling cheerily. The 
sound was pleasantly borne to my drowsy ears, mingled 
with the sweet, hopeful song of the bluebirds, and half- 
sleeping, half- waking, that most delicious of conditions, 
I dreamily thought, “ having help of this style will not 
relieve him of any of his duties, but I can rest mornings.” 
Full of this unselfish sentiment, I dropped ofi* into the 
unwonted luxury of a morning nap. 

In the midst of a beautiful dream of ease and rest, a 
voice aroused me, saying, “ Come, Kesiah, I must have 
some breakfast.” 

Lazily opening my eyes, I saw him standing beside 
the bed with watch in hand, upon the dial of which he 
was gazing with rueful countenance. “ Come, hurry up, 
or breakfast will be late.” 

“ Late ! cannot she do as little as that and be punc- 
tual ? ” cried I. 

“ But she has not come down at all.” 

“ Then why do you not call her ? ” 

“ Oh ! I do not wish to do that ; she might not like it.” 


PEGGOTTY THE FIRST. 


19 


“ Well I will call her ; ” and with that laudable de- 
termination I quickly arose and dressed, hut when that 
was accomplished I discovered that all hope of breakfast 
at the proper time was lost if I wasted another moment 
waiting ; so I hurriedly and with his assistance arranged 
the breakfast table, and just as the clock sounded the 
hour, and the last touch was given, the door opened and 

Peggotty ” entered, as unconcerned as though the 
thought had never occurred to her that any part of her 
duty had been neglected. 

I pleasantly bade her good morning, and inquired if 
she rested well the night before. 

“ Yes,” she curtly replied. 

I foolishly thought I would not mention anything 
about her morning’s neglect, thinking she could not be 
impertinent enough to repeat it ; but as might have been 
expected she did. 

After breakfast I attended to some preparations for the 
dinner, and after giving her some directions I returned 
to my own room to put that and myself in order ; for my 
late rising and unexpected labors had caused a more 
hasty toilet than was my morning custom. I had 
planned to retain the care of my own room, as I wished 
one spot in the house to be saved from intrusion. 

Towards the dinner hour I went into the kitchen and 
compounded a salad for dinner. 

I watched the sour visage lighten somewhat whilst I 
was busy, and she was more inclined to conversation 


20 


PEGGOTTT TEE FIRST. 


than ever before, but when I turned to leave her to 
finish, the cloud dropped like a veil again. 

‘‘ That is the game, is it ? You will be willing to 
work, provided I am working at the same time ; but I 
shall not agree to the conditions, my dear ‘ Peggotty,’ ” 
was my mental reflection, as I coolly wended my way 
back to the parlor, and threw myself upon the sofa to 
await the announcement of dinner. I was awakened from 
a refreshing nap by a sharp voice calling that dinner was 
waiting. 

After bathing my face, I felt quite an appetite for the 
dinner, that I had not been forced wholly to prepare. 
Upon goiog to the dining-room I was somewhat amused 
at the look of perplexity upon his face, as he was in 
vain trying to propitiate the goddess of our household 
joys, by flattering her upon her success in serving up the 
roast, done just to his favorite turn, which she acknowl- 
edged by something betwixt a groan and a snivel, accom- 
panied by a ludicrous lugubriousness of countenance. 
During the dinner hour we endeavored, to our utmost, to 
converse in a manner and upon indifierent subjects that 
would give her opportunity to join with us, but it was 
useless. Unless directly addressed she would do nothing 
except retain her most unhappy expressions of counte- 
nance. 

Whether she could not or would not talk we knew not 
then, nor never knew. I hailed the time to leave the 
table with internal joy, for it was as dispiriting as a ma- 


PEQGOTTY THE FIRST. 


21 


larial atmosphere. I ‘ thought “ she may he trusty and 
faithful, hut where is the gain that was held out as an 
inducement, so far as friendliness and companionship are 
concerned.’' 

Surely it would have been much pleasanter to haye 
employed a “servant,” that would not have expected to 
have been received at the table, or in the sitting-room ; 
then Jie and I could at least have enjoyed ourselves; 
now she would not with all her favors appreciate them, 
and was a perfect incubus upon our pleasures. J sug- 
gested as much to him that evening after she had re- 
tired, and I had once more informed, her of our breakfast 
hour, and that he would have a fire ready for her at a 
certain hour. 

He informed me that she “ would he more companion- 
able when her girlish bashfulness wore away ; and that 
we could not think of having the usual stamp of help in 
the house ; w^e could never put up with it ; perhaps they 
would not stay more than six weeks, and it would keep 
you in a worry to be constantly changing ; and ^ Peg- 
gotty’ will probably stay as long as we need her, if it 
is years, even, for she must have a home, and will know 
enough to appreciate a quiet place like this ; to he sure 
she shows plainly that she is peculiar, but they all have 
their little quips and quirks ; and, my dear, you will soon 
learn how to manage her to the best advantage. Six 
months hence you 'will, doubtless, pronounce her in- 
valuable.” 


22 


PEGGOTTT THE FIRST. 


I thought it wiser to await events than to prolong the 
discussion of uncertainties. The next morning I arose 
at the usual hour, dressed my hair and went out, think, 
ing, as I had heard nothing of “ Peggotty,” I would re | 
mind her by a call, and then would rest myself by a 
morning dream on the sitting-room lounge. 

When I reached the dining-room the fragrance of po-' 
tatoes boiling met my sensitive nostrils, and I thought 
“ Peggotty must have come down unheard by me but 
upon investigation, I found he was “ getting breakl^.st,” 
for he had sagaciously divined my purpose — to insist 
upon her performing her duties — and, in fear lest she 
might be indignant thereat, and give her notice, he 
doubly preferred, he assured me, to assist about the 
breakfast, as that seemed the only thing that she entirely 
neglected. So I meekly donned an apron, magnanimously 
and silently relinquished my morning dream, and followed 
his suggestion (a bewitching way I have of doing daily, 
but would not have it known for worlds !), and in a short 
space of time breakfast was served for the trinity, and the 
triumvirate was soon complete, for as soon as the last 
step was taken for breakfast, as before, did “ Peggotty” 
open the door and enter, to partake of the breakfast we 
had prepared for her. 

The thought at once struck me that I should really 
like to know how long she had been waiting there, so as 
to be able to enter at the proper moment — like an actor 
when his cue is given. 


PEQQOTTT THE FIRST. 


23 


The days following passed in about the same manner. 
I made not the least progress in cultivating “ Peggotty’s ” 
good nature. In fact I was unable to find that she 
possessed any. One thing I could say, she appeared 
even dispositioned — the same morose manner yesterday, 
to-day and to-morrow — and that, as I told him, was 
something to be able to know what to depend upon, not 
to feel that some sudden freak might derange your best 
laid plans. 

Matters went forward in this contented manner until 
she had been with us just a week, when an old gentle- 
man called to see her, and, as she took him into the din- 
ing-room, I did not know but at last her heart was to be 
besieged, and we should lose our acquisition ; but 1 learned 
later that he wished to engage her, to go as nurse and 
housekeeper for an old lady that was nearly bedridden, 
and she agreed to go the hext week ; therefore, at the tea 
table, we were informed that she should leave Saturday 
night. I had some difficulty in repressing a nervous de- 
sire to scream with laughter, for my first thought was of 
his faith that she might stay years, if I did not insist 
upon her attending to the breakfast duties, 
j He tried to influence her to change her mind and stay 
with us, but in vain ; I said less, for I could not appre-^ 
date that she was much of a treasure. I urged her to 
re-consider merely sufficient to clear myself of the possi- 
ble suspicion he might indulge in — that of my wishing 
her to go. 


24 


PEGGOTTT TEE FIRST. 


She stated she had no complaint whatever to make, 
hut she thought she would “try that place a few weeks. 
Maybe I shall not stay long, but shall go out to sewing 
awhile, and see if I like that. I do not wish to settle 
down until I know what will suit me best.” 

“ Being youthful and of a flighty temperament must 
be her excuse. When she is older she will steady down,% 
said I to Mm, as Saturday night I paid her ten days’ 
wages, and turned to look at Ms disconsolate face. 

“ What shall we do ? ” And he looked blankly at 
me. 

“ I do not kno\^ unless we board, for it is too much 
to change help every ten days. Now I must work 
whether I feel able or not, until we find ‘ Peggotty ’ No. 
2,” said I, rather bitterly. 

“ Oh, we cannot board ; we should lose all the com- 
forts of a home,' and we cannot'give those up, dear. I’ll 
find somebody soon, and with my help you will get along 
somehow.” 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


25 


CHAPTEK III. 

BARKIS APPEARS. 

“Get along somehow.” Yes, I did for three weeks, 
but, as I look back upon it, vainly do I try to realize 
hoiv it was done. A house that is daily kept in good 
order is comparatively easy to manage, and had I been 
even half able to work, another “ Peggotty ” should 
never have darkened my doors. But the flesh is weak 
while the spirit is strong, and bow to fate I must. 

Kind friends soon found just the person ; he had spent 
time enough to have paid a servant a month’s wages, 
but unsuccessfully, and we were quite discouraged until a 
friend sent us the information that a young American 
girl, from a neighboring State, was at this time in the 
vicinity looking for just such a situation as ours would 
be. She was of Scotch-Irish descent, a Protestant and 
church member, possessed a fair education, and would 
not work out unless she could be treated like “ one of the 
family.” 

I did not wish a young girl for various reasons ; they 
are too unsteady, have too much company, and are de- 
sirous of being more intimate than I should care to sub- 
mit to. 


26 


BARKIS APPEARS, 


But necessity knows no law, and our need of assistance 
was daily increasing, so, with a grimace, I accepted the 
situation. 

One dim, cloudy Monday morning I ushered Maggie 
— a pug-faced, frowzly-headed, chubby-bodied girl — into 
the wash-room and introduced her to the week’s wash- 
ing ; and as she dipped her hands in a tub of water, with 
prophetic carelessness, the sudden splash dashed a heavy 
sprinkling upward upon her impudent, saucy-looking 
features and crinkly hair, and she was thereby christened, 
and henceforth to us renounced her former name of 
Maggie, and became our “ Peggotty ” the Second. I in- 
formed her that, when able to do so, I would assist 
about the dinner Mondays, but, with that exception, we 
should expect her to do the whole of the work. 

“ Yes, ma’am,” she replied, with an assumed look of 
meekness, that did not deceive me as to the real charac- 
ter that would, perhaps, one day develop for our benefit. 
Night came and I could find no particular fault with the 
work, except that it had taken her all day — a thing that 
is rather exasperating to a woman that knows by actual 
experience that all can be neatly “ cleared up ” in a half 
day. But I was determined not to find fault outwardly, 
unless absolutely obliged to. If things fretted me I 
could retire to the parlor and shut them out. 

Therefore at night, with an air of cheerfulness, I in- 
troduced “Peggotty” the Second to the bijou of a room 
that was now sacred to the priestesses of household 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


27 


duties. Many were her expressions of delight, such as — 
“ Indeed and I’ll never want to leave here ; the room is 
pretty as a parlor.” 

I expressed the hope that we should mutually he satis- 
fied, and, reminding her of the breakfast hour, hade her 
good night. 

He inquired anxiously if I thought she would suit me. 
With a laugh I owned “my impressions are not favor- 
able. The poodle-dog style rarely turn out well.” 

I retired to rest that night in the full consciousness 
that (making due allowance for sudden death and sick- 
ness) I should not “ get ” breakfast in the morning, if 
there was none till day after to-morrow. 

In pursuance of which plan, the next morning, after 
awaking with the full glare of the sun in my face, I 
coolly turned my head to avoid the light, and settled 
myself for a nice rest. The restless pacing on the piazza 
betokened that some one was a little anxious about the 
breakfast, but, true to the promise made unto my feeble 
body, I still enjoyed myself. 

Soon, however, his disquieted face presented itself at 
the door. “You will have to get up or I shall not be 
down to the office in season.” 

“ Call ‘ Peggotty ’ the Second, my dear.” 

“I do not wish to ; she might not like it. The po- 
tatoes are now nearly done. Hadn’t you better get up ? 
There is not much to do.” 

“ My dear, what do we pay ‘ Peggotty ’ ? ” 


28 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


With a look of surprise he answered, “Why? — 
three dollars a week.” 

“ And allow her every Sunday to go to her sister’s, 
each afternoon to sew for herself, or go out, unless I am 
sick (always provided, of course, that she does the 
‘housework’ Jirst — which she can do easily), do w'e 
not ? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“When I was somewhat stronger than now, though 
far from well, did I not do the same, and, in addition, 
all the making and mending ? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“ How much would you have thought I ought to have 
been allowed for spending money, in consideration there- 
of — twelve dollars a month ? ” 

He laughed in an embarrassed manner at my novel 
way of ascertaining if he thought “ Peggotty ” would 
more than earn her wages if she got the breakfast. Y^t 
I could not induce him to call her. 

“ Then,” said I quietly, “ there seems no way but that 
you must await her pleasure. Were I able I would not 
only ‘ get ’ the breakfast, but ‘ do ’ all the work in pre- 
ference to having any one ‘ do ’ it for us, but the only 
hope now of my ever being able to do so, consists in tak- 
ing rest,” and I composedly adjusted my head a trifle 
more comfortably, and once more advised him to call 
“ Peggotty ” the Second. 

But no, if I was determined that “ Peggotty ” should 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


29 


do the work, that she was paid for doing, he was none 
the less decided that he should not run the risk of being 
obliged to again go “ Peggotty-hunting,” by offending the 
present incumbent through reminding her of the time 
of her duties. 

As I heard him setting” the table, my heart almost 
relented, and then I thought I will not be so foolish, for 
it is not right, and, with a laugh, I wondered if that wsis 
one of the ‘‘home comforts” he was preserving by the 
present management. I thought, young man, if you were 
boarding you could at least depend upon having your 
food at certain hours. 

Just as the clock struck the breakfast hour, and I had 
finished my toilet, I heard a heavy slip-shod step on the 
stairs, and knew that “ Peggotty ” the Second was about 
to arrive on the field of action. 

Busying myself about my room, I was careful to keej) 
employed until called to breakfast. He came in for 
me with a hurt expression upon his face, as though I 
had wronged him, saying, “We must hurry ; I shall be 
half an hour late now.” 

“ I am very sorry ; you must call ‘ Peggotty ’ to- 
morrow morning sufficiently early. This will never do.” 

He replied not, but looked at me as if he thought I 
might just “get breakfast” if “ Peggotty ” did not wish 
to. 

But that was nothing compared to the horrified look 
that overspread his face, when I said, mildly (after bid- 


30 


BAEKIS APPEARS. 


ding her good morning), I am very sorry you overslept 
this morning ; it makes it so bad for him. After this I 
will have him call you when he builds the fire. I ought 
to have had him done so this morning.” 

I knew he was trembling lest she should refuse to stay, 
but I thought if she did not intend to do her duty she 
might as well leave first as last. But she was not ready 
to leave so soon what promised to be an easy berth and 
2)rompt payment. After this “ Peggotty ” attended to 
the morning meal — not always as promptly as she should 
have done — but she did attend to it ; the work was done 
after a fashion. Many times I had to keep strong con- 
trol of mf feelings, but I began to realize that I had en- 
tered upon a trying experience, and must learn to bear it. 

“ Peggotty ” developed many strange freaks : one day 
full of life and fun, amounting to impertinence — if she 
had been a servant, but as “ Peggotty ” — ahem ; another 
time she would pout with her rose-bud (cabbage-rose) 
lips and her pug nose more puggy than ever ; then she 
would hurry her work out of the way and pay strict 
attention to her correspondence. Then she usually gave 
her notice about once in three weeks and was going 
home — she “ felt anxious-like.” 

“ Are any of your people sick ? ” 

“ No, ma’am, but I’m anxious-like.” 

Then she would come to me and wish to take back 
her notice ; she had made up her mind not to go home ; 
perhaps she might go before long to her aunt’s — she 'had 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


31 


friends there ; but she would stay with me a while 
longer. So the mouths passed, now “ giving her notice,” 
then feeling “ anxious-like ; ” next it would be, ‘‘ maybe 
soon I’ll go to my aunt’s — I have friends there.” 

One day I found her in tears. ‘‘ What is the matter, 
^ Peggotty ’ ? ” 

Oh, ma’am, I wish I knew where Bob was — I feel 
so anxious-like.” 

“ Who is Bob — your brother ? ” 

“ No, ma’am, he is a fellow that courted me when I 
was only sixteen, and he’s gone West, and doesn’t write 
to me now, and whether he w^ants me or not I don’t 
know, so I don’t know what answer to make to this 
letter from Dick. Here ’tis, ma’am — what shall I 
answer ? ” 

Considerably amused, I proceeded to read the follow- 
ing letter : 

“ Dere Maggie I have ritten to you twise sense you last rote to 
me why don’t you rite you have promised fore times to marri mo 
and then you put it of I hleave now that you hed to me that you 
do like Bob better nor me tho you said you didn’t but every time 
you put it of and say wate til you have bin home you want to see 
your mother, I bleave you want to see Bob or here from him. 
your last letter you said you would stop riting to me any more I 
dont think that is fare as menny times as you have set in 
my lap and you said you would have me now Maggy you aint 
used me rite but I like you and Ive got another gold ring He give 
you if you will marry me now dont have Bob, have me do 

Yoiu*s til deth Dick.” 


32 


BABKIS APPEARS. 


When I had finished reading the above, the pudgy 
face, covered with tears, was lifted, and she pitifully 
asked, “ Shall I marry Dick or wait and see if Bob wants 
me ? ” 

“ Do you not know which you prefer ? ” 

“Yes, ma’am ; but I aint heard nothing from Bob in 
three years. I want him — boo-hoo-o-o — boo-hoo — but 
maybe he is dead or married — oh, boo-hoo. I feel so 
anxious like, it makes me most sick ; some days I cannot 
work. I know I told Dick I would marry him, but I 
want Bob. I like him best.” 

“ What have you been encouraging Dick for, then ? ” 
I sternly asked. 

“ Oh, ma’am. Bob was gone so long, and I wanted a 
fellow just a much as the other girls ; and we must all 
marry sometime, you know, ma’am, and it might as well 
be Dick as anybody, if it can’t be Bob. But sometimes 
I get to thinking that I’ll wait awhile longer for Bob, 
and then I tell Dick I am never going to marry anybody ; 
not that I mean it, ma’am, for I’ll soon coax him back 
if I want him, when I’m sure about Bob. That’s the 
way to manage them, ma’am ; they’ll like you just as 
well and better for all the trouble you give them, 
ma’am,” and she looked up at me with a shrewd grin. 

“ ‘ Peggotty,’ ” said I, with some severity in my voice, 
“ I am ashamed of your folly. You do not care for 
either of the young men. You are just a vain coquette.” 

“ Indeed I do care. If you could have known how my 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


33 


heart has ached for Bob as I was sitting by the parlor 
window in.' Dick’s lap many a Sunday afternoon, you’d 
never say that cruel word to me — ‘ don’t care ! ’ Oh, 
Dick, — oh-h-h. Bob — boo-hoo — hoo-o-o-o — how Dick — 
would — say, Maggy — what makes — ye so still, and I’d — 
say nothing — ailed me — but I’d be — thinking — all the 
time — as I looked out — of the window — that I wished 
— I could see — Bob coming — up the road — like as he — 
used to. Oh I used to feel so bad, boo-hoo-o-o-o-o-o ; 
but Dick never knew of what I was thinking,” and 
she grinned shrewdly through her tears. “ He thought 
I liked him. It aint best to let the men know the 
truth, ma’am.” 

By this time you may be assured I was becoming dis- 
gusted with the simpleton’s folly and wickedness, and 
gave her a sound lecture upon her conduct. Finally she 
checked her sobs, and decided to try and be a little more 
sensible. She said she would write at once to Dick and 
refuse him entirely, would forget her old friend Bob, and 
attend more faithfully to her daily duties hereafter ; 
feeling somewhat consoled, I fancied, by the sugar-coat- 
ing I had given my lecture, that “ patient waiters were 
no losers.” 

As I turned to leave her she said, “ Wait, ma’am, and 
read this if you please,” drawing another letter from her 
pocket. 

“ I do not care to read it ; send it back to him with 
ihe others.” 


34 


BARKIS APPEARS, 


“ But this is not from Dick — this is another. Shall I 
answer it ? ” and she passed me one, received that morn- 
ing from the office, directed in a professional hand- 
writing. y 

Mr Dear Maggie — ^Do not chide me for calling you so upon 
our short acquaintance ; the heart, my dear, is not bound by con- 
ventionalities, and recognizes its aflSnity at sight ; the hours have 
dragged their weary length along heavily, indeed, since I saw 
your sweet face, Maggie darling, last Saturday evening on the 
train. I feel assured that I shall love you, and you only, for- 
ever more. Will you meet me on the train next Saturday even- 
ing ? Be in the second coach, darhng, and there you will meet 
me once more. Thine. 

Brack Moustache. 

“ ‘ Peggotty,’ ” said I sternly, have you been indulg- 
ing in a flirtation with a stranger on the train ? and gave 
him your address, as this letter proves ! Are you simple 
or crazy ? ” 

“ Neither, ma’am ; all the girls flirt on the train now- 
a-days. Maybe they didn’t when you were young [as if 
that was long ago], but its the fashion now.” 

“Fashion, indeed! What nonsense. No girl that 
had any self-respect would do such a thing.” 

“Well, ma’am. Belle Sykes, the school-teacher, was 
on the train, and a fellow that was with ‘ Black Mous- 
tache ’ sat in the seat with her, and they flirted worse 
than we did, for I heard him ask her for some flowers 
from her bouquet. She gave him some ; he kissed them 
and put them in a brown leather tobacco case. They 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


35 

thouglit nobody saw them. She kinder shied them out 
to him, and he kinder shied them into that little case, 
and. told her, almost in a whisper (hut I heard it), that 
he should keep them till he died as a snuff near of the 
evening. She said, ‘You don’t mean it.’ ‘Yes, I do,’ 
said he ; and he asked her if she did not wish they could 
ride onward forever ; and he promised to Avrite to her — 
he did — and I think that was the letter she got last 
night that made her blush so. I Avas down to the post 
office, and I heard the minister ask her if she was ill — he 
said she looked feverish — but I kncAv that it Avas the 
letter from her light-Avhiskered friend that she gave the 
snuffnear to and “Peggotty ” chuckled at her superi- 
ority in judgment. 

“ Blushed ! I should thought she would. It does not 
seem possible that Belle Sykes Avould be guilty of such 
imprudence.” 

“ Why, all the girls do, ma’am. The school girls that 
go on the cars have all got beau.x; that they write to, and 
hand the billets to as they get off the train. I Avish I 
could go to school on the cars ; ” she sighed heavily at 
this point. “ There is Nettie Carr is in love now 
with the brakeman on the rear car of the down train, and 
so she always goes in that car, and he brings her a letter 
every day, and she carries him one, and he has given her 
some red ear-rings, and she had to tell her mother that 
Nellie Barron gave them to her ; for old Mrs. Carr is 
awful fussy, and says she would not let Nettie go on the 


36 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


cars if slie was as wild as some of the girls are. Nettie 
says her mother is dreadful old-fashioned, and thinks 
nobody ought to speak to a gentleman without an intro- 
duction, unless in case of terrible danger or accident. 
Nellie Barron thinks Conductor BufFum i&just splendid, 
if it wasn’t for the bother that he is married ! Kate 
Paxton is engaged to the fellow that checks the baggage, 
and Dora Booth wears a ring that one of the clerks in 
Bassett’s store gave her ; that is where the school girls 
all do their shopping, for the clerks are just jolly ; and 
Emma Stone ” 

‘‘ Stop ! For heaven’s sake, are you telling the truth ? 
Do you know, ‘ Peggotty,’ that what you have told me 
would drive those girls’ parents frantic, cause the girls to 
he expelled from school, and, innocent as the romantic 
and ignorant creatures may be of any evil intention, yet 
to make these things public would blast their reputation 
forever ? For the sake of the girls, never speak of these 
things again ; to let them reach the ear of some gossip 
will be the death blow to their future happiness. Yet 
their parents must be warned somehow or the girls are 
lost. Now throw your letter in the fire and attend to 
the dinner. I must think this matter over and how their 
parents can best be warned without giving any offence ; ” 
and I turned once more to leave the room. 

“ But, ma’am, to-day is Saturday, and I would like to 
go up to Otranto this afternoon and do some shopping, 
if you- can spare me.” 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


37 


“ Spare you, ‘ Peggotty ; ’ I could easily do that, but I 
cannot allow you to go for the purpose of meeting a 
stranger. Have I not made myself- sufficiently plain ? 
If not I will do so now. After what I have said, if you 
go to-night for the purpose of meeting that scoundrel, 
you will leave here at once and forever.” 

I do not wish to lose a good place where I am treated 
like ‘ one of the family,’ for such places are not found at 
every corner, but I think you are wrong in calling him a 
scoundrel. He was j ust beautiful. The girls all said he 
was the handsomest man that was on the train last week ; 
and Nellie Barron said she fairly envied me my good 
luck, he was such a nice young man ; he looked so noble 
and so true that he made her think of Mr. Rochester that 
was so good, and loved Jane Eyre so dearly ; she said 
maybe he would love me so, and come and marry me if I 
loas a servant. I just told her I was not a servant — that 
I was treated always just like ^ one of the family.’ And I 
do think its funny you should be so set against my going 
to see him, when just his making much of me on the cars 
has shown the girls that I am as good as they are ; this 
week they have made lots of me at the depot, and it’s all 
because it opened their eyes to see him notice me.” 

I- left the room in disgust ; I could not doubt the 
truth of these statements, disagreeable as it was, for 
what I had myself witnessed among the school girls on 
the morning and evening trains only confirmed the whole. 
I had known that black-eyed Jennie Mann had upon two 


38 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


occasions lost an elegant hat in passing from one car to 
another to ascertain if certain swains were on the train, 
and that she was known on the train as the girl who was 
in the habit of wearing her millinery so carelessly that, in 
in her frequent passings from car to car in pursuit of the 
beaux, she had sent many valuable head-gears to the 
hidden realms of Old Boreas,” and that for this reason 
the milliners vied with each other in their efforts to 
secure her custom. Of course Mrs. Mann believed her 
daughter’s sad tale — that the coaches were so crowded 
she was forced to run the risk of her life as well as ward- 
robe in pursuit of a seat ! 

I had seen Conductor Blink familiarly pinch the ear 
of pretty Josie Seabury, and drop a paper of bon-bons in 
the lap of Nannie Holbrook, saying, “ There is what I 
promised you, Bright Eyes.” I had seen the alacrity 
with which some of the best looking brakemen hurried 
to the school girls’ car to assist them off whenever oppor- 
tunity offered. I always dropped a word of warning in 
the presence of parents, and invariably found that they 
all appreciated the truth of it, and would say, “If my 
daughter was not so different from the other girls I 
should not dare to trust her, but she may be a restraint 
upon them, and thus do some good by going, whilst no 
harm can come to her.” 

Oh, blind mothers ! 

A few weeks later “Peggotty” had been sulky for 
many days, and appeared as if she was feeling “ anxious- 


BABKIS APPEARS. 


39 


like ” again. I asked no questions, for I did not feel 
romantically inclined, and cared not to witness another 
deluge of salt water, nor listen to an operatic chorus of 
Bob — boo-hoo-o-o-o — Dick or Bob, which shall it he ? — 
boo-hoo-o-o. 

But a crisis was doubtless approaching, and, after days 
of preliminary sighing, pouting, simpering and sulking, 

Peggotty ” informed me that she had been “ a dwelling 
on it,” and had decided “to forget Bob, as maybe he was 
dead,” and she had written to Dick and “asked him to 
make up, and in the spring she would marry him.” As he 
had answered her offer favorably she would leave in two 
months, and go to her aunt’s to be married, and go home 
to her mother on a wedding tour. 

I thought advice would be wasted on such a shallow- 
pated damsel, so congratulated her and decided to make 
the most of the intervening time looking for No. 3. 

When he came to dinner it was to announce the rumor 
that Kate Paxton had failed to return to her home 
the night before ; that the “ Baggage-Expressed-sir 
Checked- to-all-Way-Stations” was off duty for a fort- 
night, and, to the dismay of her friends, it was sur- 
mised that the two had eloped ! Kate had begged her 
mother’s permission to wear her brown silk suit that day 
at school, and it was now expected that it had served as 
a bridal dress. 

I turned to “ Peggotty ” with, “ Now do you realize the 
danger that I tried to explain to you ? ” ’ 


40 


BARKIS ARREARS. 


“Danger! I think it’s splendid. Oh-h-h — it — makes 
— me — think — of — Bob — hoo-hoo-hoo-o-o-o.” 

I must confess that I laughed partly at her ridiculous 
conduct, and partly at the perplexed look upon his face. 
I knew he thought she must he crazy ; and perhaps she 
was — I called it idiocy. 

She left the table a mixture of Bobs, tears, Dicks and 
boo-hoos all intermingled, but, as I told him afterwards, 
rather more Bob than other ingredients. 

I explained to him that she had decided to leave us, 
and he might be on the lookout for some one to take her 
place. 

“ I thought she would stay as long as we wished her ? 
We cannot put up with changing help as often as this.” 

Then suppose we board ? ” spoke I with eagerness. 

“No, no; we cannot give up our home and its com- 
forts.” 

“ Has it seemed like home lately ? ” 

He colored and hastily said, “ At any rate she has 
given us a very fair notice. I have two months to find 
some one ; I need not hurry.” He never liked to hurry ; 
he feared to act hastily lest he should repent at his 
leisure. 

She was very dull all the afternoon and evening, and 
in the morning she came with swollen eyes to the dining 
room with two letters she wished mailed ; one we saw was 
for Dick, and the other for her mother. 

After breakfast she carne to my room and said she did not 


BARKIS APPEARS. 


41 


rest well the night before, and she had thought it all over 
and made up her mind she could not give Bob up unless 
he was dead, or if alive would not have her ; so she had 
written to Dick that she was going home to spend the 
winter, and get ready to marry him in the spring. “ That 
is what I tell him,” she said with her cunning grin dis- 
torting her features, ‘‘ but 1 am going home to find Bob 
if I can, and if he will have me I shall marry him, and 
Dick won’t know till it is too late to hinder it ; but if 
Bob is dead or doesn’t want me, I shall come back to my 
aunt’s in the spring and marry Dick ; and he will never 
know that I wanted Bob ; so, ma’am, I think I wiR 
leave next Saturday night, and go to my aunt’s and 
make a visit and good up Dick, so that he will be all 
right if I don’t hear from Bob.” 

I thought it worse than useless to urge the unsettled 
creature to stay, only to have the scene repeated in a 
week perhaps ; and once more we were looking for a 
<< Peggotty.” 

He looked rather blank at the prospect, but tried tc 
be cheerful, consoled by the old adage that there is luch 
the third time. 


42 


PETER PRUE. 


CHAPTER IV. 

PETER PRUE. 

The cold dreary montlis of winter had worn away, 
leaving me nervous, and wistfully looking forward for 
spring beauties and joys. How I longed for a mild day 
that I miorlit once more emersre into the outer world and 

O O 

breathe the fresh air ; and one day in my melancholy I 
found myself almost unconsciously scribbling a sonnet, 
an act I had never before in my most fanciful moods 
attempted. With surprise I inspected my work and took 
a diagnosis of my case ; if my mind had reached the 
point of essaying poetry, methought, I must be ill men- 
tally as well as physically, and I decided that pure air I 
must have for a restorative or there was no telling what 
I might do next that was absurd. And I insisted that 
he must take me out for a drive along the pleasant 
country roads to aid me in recovering my accustomed 
mental equilibrium. Never did I enjoy a drive like that ; 
the unwonted excitement of being in the open air, inhal- 
ing the fresh scents of growing grass and budding, blos- 
soming plants and shrubs, was like drinking of the elixir 
of life. The bubbling, noisy rivulets, playing hide 
and seek in the meadows on either hand, and rushing 
saucily across the roads beneath the rude rustic bridges, 


PETER PRUE. 


43 


had all the charms of novelty for me. The short hour’s 
drive filled me with the enthusiasm of youth and health, 
and as I alighted at the gate, with a handful of arbutus 
and anemones gathered by the wayside, I felt new 
strength and hope to support me in my unequal struggle 
with life and its attendant Peggotties. 

With the early spring I had secured another “ Peg- 
gotty,” a stout, rugged maiden lady, light-haired and 
pale-eyed, the prim daughter of Deacon Humbug. 

There was one quality she displayed early and late and 
upon all occasions that was very gratifying — she had full 
faith that “ neatness was akin to holiness ” — and she took 
the utmost pains that all around me should be of the purest 
and cleanliest. It was such a pleasure to be constantly 
supplied with the freshest collars, cuffs and handker- 
chiefs, as well as in all the general details. 

She also took great pains in her own attire — her hair 
was always freshly crimped, and her delicately-tinted 
prints were always of the freshest. 

She aped the youthful style of dress rather more than 
was in good taste, and her principal thoughts were bent 
upon the hoiv, and wherewithal shall we be clothed.” 

When attired for the afternoon in her light- blue cash- 
mere, cut and trimmed exceedingly girlishly, and telling 
what she would like and meant to have sometime, but if 
she on\y had, should only wear it upon “state ” occasions, 
I used to wonder that any one accustomed from their youth 
up, to the meagrest allowance of this world’s comforts, 


44 


PETER FREE. 


should have such absurd longings for the things that 
they would not know the use of, nor have any suitable 
occasion to use them if they did. When the ‘‘state” 
day would occur upon which she would wear her India 
shawl, even did she obtain it, was a mystery to me that 
was never solved, 

I was thinking one day, at least this “ Peggotty ” can 
never (whatever other strange freak she may take) make 
me a confidant of her past love affairs ; for such a pru- 
dish personage must have been utterly exempt. Not 
long after this a friend told me that two old bachelor 
brothers, that lived together, were looking for a house- 
keeper, and some one had told them of my old maid, and 
I might therefore expect an effort would be made to secure 
her, I kept my own counsel on the subject, thinking we 
might hear no more of it, but one day the mail contained 
a letter for “ Peggotty ” the Third, that agitated her very 
much. 

“ I think it is insulting for any one to write me such a 
letter — who is Peter Prue?” she burst out excitedly. 

“ An old bachelor in Sigamond,” I replied demurely, 
yet well knowing by the name what was coming, 

“ Well, who has been putting him up to write me such 
a letter as this ? I have done nothing that I should be 
insulted like this. Maid, indeed ! Who has 'dared to 
speak of me as a maid ? I never was a maid, and I 
never will be. I am above that. Bead this, and see 
what you think of it,” and she passed me a dingy. 


PETER PRUE. 45 

wrinkled half sheet of paper, upon which was scrawled 
the following epistle to “ Peggotty ” the Third : 

frogtown Juli 2tli 1866 

miss humbug i "want yu tu cum tu wurk fur me thare is but tu 
tu cook fur and tu tu w’ash and ayam fur yu kan du as yu pies 
just as yu pies Yu kan go alone or i -will go with yu whare yu 
want to go thare is a band here that plais twise a weke and i kan 
git them tu cum and plai fur yu anytime if yu want me tu i plai 
the violin i will pai good pai fur the wurk thare is tu du think 
well of this before yu send wurd send wurd to peter prue frog, 
town I liv about 40 rods from the post office 

yures truli peter prue. 

p s think well befour yu send wurd if yu kant cum know cum 
in the sprin know cum know surely cum 

yures truli peter prue. 

p s thare is plenti of gurles hear fur cumpany and plenti of 
boas tu go tu the dances with yu 

yure p p. 

p s know cum du cum fur i want a good made and house ceeper 
the wurk is esy du cum 

yures truli peter p 

I controlled my risihles as I read it, and mentally 
ejaculated, “ What next ? ” 

“ What do you think of the letter ? ” she inquired, as 
I folded it up. 

“ Nothing, except that he wishes help and some one 
has praised you to him.” 

“ But who has thought so meanly of me, as that I 
would go to such a place to keep house — a nest of old 
bachelors ? ” she sneered. 


46 


PETER PRUE. 


The letter and its probable instigators was the princi- 
pal subject upon her mind for many days, to the exclu- 
sion of her wonted carefulness in regard to her domestic 
duties. The thought that it was the work of some one 
to play a joke upon her really wore upon her health. 

One afternoon, after a lengthy discussion of what she 
should do, as she had been unable in the town, to find 
any sage green gloves to match her new suit — which 
weighty subject for the time being excluded all minor 
thoughts — she suddenly changed the subject to an 
animated discussion of her correspondent, Peter Prue. 

Have you answered his letter yet ? ” I inquired. 

“ Do you mean to insult me ? Of course I haven’t. 
I would not stoop to do it.” 

“ Then he will probably write again, thinking you 
have not received the first.” 

“ What shall I do if he does ? Who can have insti- 
gated him to do this ? Do people think that I, who have 
had such offers, and might have married as well as I 
could have done, would degrade myself by going to such 
a place as that ? It would utterly ruin my prospects 
for making a good marriage.” 

“ So ho,” thought I ; “ never too old to hope. The 
example of Biblical Sarah is an ever-shining beacon of 
hope and pillar of faith to the maidens of each descend- 
ing generation.” 

She appeared to dwell sadly upon some mournful 
iscVection, and, in a musing tone, said, “ I might have 


PETER PRUE. 47 

been married ere tbis, and lived in a brown stone mansion 
on Beacon street, had I chosen.” 

“ Then why did you not choose to do so ? I should 
have thought such a flattering prospect would not have 
been easily resisted.” 

“ Yes, it was tempting, and we were engaged ; but 
after that he was so presuming he wished to kiss me at 
parting, and when we met after his long absences, and 
he wished to sit on the sofa beside me — liberties that I did 
not consider at all proper, even if we were engaged. He 
yielded the point of the privilege of sitting beside me, but 
continually insisted that I should kiss him, said it was his 
right, and if I loved him I would like to do so ; but I 
still refused, and he accused me of being prudish about 
it — a thing I know I was never guilty of in regard to 
anything. One bright afternoon he called on me, and I 
chanced to be in the sitting-room alone, embroidering 
some trifle or other, and when I came to need my em- 
broidery scissors, I looked in vain for them, until detect- 
ing by Burt’s looks that he knew where they were. 
When I accused him of hiding them he said he had them 
in his vest pocket, and would willingly return them in 
exchange for a kiss. I told him he was really imper- 
tinent to ask such a thing ; he says, ‘ Look upon your 
fore-flnger and think of the promise you gave me when 
I placed that ring there, and then say if you think I 
I have not a right to wish or expect a kiss.’ I told him 
that when we were married I would kiss him and not be- 


48 


PETER PRUE. 


fore ; he begged me to think better of it, but I would 
hot, and he said, ‘ Then you do not love me and we will 
part,’ and we did — and I am now living here as a house- 
keeper — and he is married and with a large family of 
boys and girls, resides in an elegant mansion — but they 
are not mine,” she added sadly. 

“I hope his wife kisses him occasionally at least,” 
said I, somewhat maliciously I fear. 

“What 1 ” said she, in a surprised tone of voice, “do 
you think I was foolish ; that I ought to have kissed 
him ? ” 

“ Most certainly you ought to have done so; it was 
your duty.” 

With a look of astonishment flashing out from each 
faded feature, she asked, “ Did your husband ever kiss 
you before you were married ? ” 

“ If he had not I would not have married him,” I re- 
torted. 

She looked at me in blank amazement. 

Just then the postman rang the bell and I found 
among the letters one from “ Peggotty’s ” Peter (or per- 
haps he would like to play Barkis — that is what I sus- 
pected was at the root of this desire to win my help 
away). 

“ Was ever anything so impudent ; do just read this ! ” 
I took the paper, "covered with curiously-formed 
scraggling figures, and read as follows : 


PETER PRUE 


49 


frogtown juli sicktene 1866 

dere mis humbug i rit tu yu tu weaks ago and have hearn no- 
thing yifc so i sjDose the male got miscarried and i will know rite 
agin if yu got my letter yu no what i want onli i want more than 
i told yu i want yu tu cum on trial as made and house ceeper and 
if yu like and i like we mite git marrid wich wood be cheper fur 
me tlian to pai a made and better fur yu tu have a good home 
than tu wurk oute fur a livin the wnrk aint hard and i will help 
yu and plai the violin fur yu when yu wurk tu be cumpany for 
yu. the washings and ayaruings aint hard and the rest of the 
wurk is esy we will have lots of cumpany if yu cum a man what 
nos yu says yu a good cook and^kernomical and i wish yu wood 
cum i think we shuld both be suted know cum du cum for i no 
i shall want yu tu stay my house is good and warm and yu will 
like pies cum sone or let me no when yu will 

yures truli peter prue 

p s dont forgit that I will pai good pai fur the wurk 

yures peter prue. 

p s cum by sprin sure and lern to no 

p p 

“ What man do you suppose has dared to practice a 
joke like this upon me ? Who that knows me would 
dare do such a vile thing. I never was a servant for 
any one ; and if I ever marry it will be a man of wealth 
and position, that can furnish servants to wait upon me. 
I do think it is a shame ; and if folks are going to think 
that because I live here with you that I would go any- 
where it is time that I left and put a stop to such ideas. 
I never was called a servant, and I never will be. If, 
when I am married, enemies should tell my husband that 
I had been a servant I should be mortified to death ; so 


50 


PETER PR PE. 


I will give my notice, and shall go hack to my father’s a 
week from Saturday. I had rather have less mopey 
than to ruin my chances for the future.” 

The next professional call the doctor made he gave 
him (the doctor) a slight sketch of the reason I was to 
lose this “ Peggotty,” and to say there was some merri- 
ment upon the part of the two gentlemen slightly ex- 
presses it. 

The doctor thought the if and when she should marry 
was well put in ; the contrast between her desires and 
her real situation, between the oifer she had or professed 
to have received in her youth and her present* “ Barkis ” 
(peter prue), was by them considered ludicrous. He and 
the doctor, after a consultation upon the symptoms and 
possibilities, unanimously decided upon the verdict that 
this was the last flicker of the candle of hope for her ; 
that if she refused Peter she would find herself in the 
dark night of despair, as far as her future chances were 
concerned. 

Her worriment of mind during the remainder of her 
stay, lest she might have lost caste hy her imprudence in 
assuming the duties of “housekeeper” for us, furnished 
us with much diversion, at the same time that we fully, 
realized we should miss her excessive cleanliness and 
have many another “ Peggotty ” ere we should find as 
perfect a housekeeper. The quirks and peculiarities she 
manifested that would utterly preclude her ever attain- 
ing the height of her ambition — that of marrying a 


PETER PRUE. 


51 


wealthy gentleman of talent — were no objection to us, 
who were satisfied that she was competent for the posi- 
tion she was now in, even if we doubted her capabilities 
for filling that to which she aspired. 

But like all her predecessors she rendered herself ob- 
noxious to us whilst she worked her notice. That cus- 
tom, with Peggotties at least, should be abolished. It 
was therefore with joy that we hailed the close of the 
reign of “ Peggotty ” the Third, and we looked forward 
with hope to the coronation of her successor, and prayed 
that the next reign might be productive of comfort to 
our disheartened spirits. He admitted that we were 
about as much bothered as though we employed servants, 
and he did not know but we might be nearly as comfort- 
able even boarding as we were now in what we termed 
home, but which had long since lost its chief charms. 

He might as well board as far as feeling that he could 
take a guest home to dine or spend a night ; no board- 
ing-mistress could wear a more forbidding countenance 
than our “ quean’s ” upon such an event. 


52 


PEQ00TT7 IS NOT WILLIN, 


CHAPTER V. 

/ 

PEGGOTTT IS NOT WILLIN’. 

The intervening weeks between the abdication of the 
throne by “Peggotty” the Third and the accession to 
power of her successor, “ Peggotty ” the Fourth, was 
filled by volunteers from the rank and file of mother, 
sisters, nieces, aunts and cousins. 

I sometimes think if it had not been for these respites 
(to me) in which I luxuriated in a freedom from care, 
and learned from the past dearth how sweet home com- 
forts were, that had it not been for these rests my health, 
under the mental anxiety, would have become a complete 
wreck. 

He, after a few weeks “hunting,” had succeeded in 
bringing in captive a bright-eyed, witchy, little, broken- 
down “ school ma’am,” that had nearly ruined her voice 
by years of constant teaching, and had decided to take 
up with her old physician’s advice and “ do house- work.” 
He told her frankly if she had been rich he should have, 
after the custom of his profession, recommended a year’s 
travel, “ but you are not, and light exercise and change 
are what you need. I know of no better way to get 
them than to enter some family — put your pride in your 


PEGGOTTY IS NOT WILLIN'. 


53 


pocket — and take up a house-maid’s duties, thus secur- 
ing your health and good home at one and the same 
time.” 

I was not over pleased, for I thought “ if such per- 
sons as I have had have been jealous, lest they should 
lose caste, how can I ever keep her ? ” 

It was soon plain that the programme was to he en- 
tirely new ; she gave a toss of her head and a gleeful 
laugh at the idea of losing her own pretty soubriquet in 
that of “ Peggotty ” the Fourth. “ Well, if I am ‘ Peg- 
gotty,’ I trust ‘ Barkis ’ will soon make his appearance ; 
the Irish help have their ‘ followers,’ I trust you allow 
your Peggotties to receive their Barkises.” 

Her manner was as refreshing as a breeze from a blos- 
soming meadow in summer time. 

“ Now, what shall I do first ? ” 

“You may dust my room and put it in order.” 

The tiny creature went to work, and I, with much in- 
terest, watched her futile efibrts to reach the top of the 
picture cords and knobs, with a long handled feather 
duster, even when standing tip-toe. 

In a few moments she sighed, “ oh, dear ! ” 

“What is the matter, Peggy 

“ I shall have to be put upon the rack some day ! ” 

“ Why, what for ? ” 

“ Not for my sins, for I never done nothing,” said she 
with a comical air of assumed innocence ; “ but I’m so 
short between joints that I cannot work to advantage, 


54 


PEQGOTTT IS HOT WILLJH\ 


and I thought to he stretched on a rack might make me 
taller.” 

She had just finished my room when I heard a foot- 
step, and informed her that was the milkman and to get 
him a pitcher, and then put the milk in the refrigerator. 

Soon she was flying hack, her features alive with fun. 

“ I think I’ve seen ‘ Barkis.’ The milkman stared me 
almost out of countenance, and poured half the milk on 
the table through looking at me instead of the pitcher.” 

“ That will never do, Peggy. Tell him next time 
that I wish him to pour his milk in the pitcher first and 
look at you afterwards.” 

“ Yes’ra, I will do so,” and she went hack demurely • 
about her work singing “ Silver threads among the 
gold.” 

You can imagine my astonishment next morning as, 
with an arch glance that completely destroyed the little 
self-i)ossession the milkman evinced in her presence, she 
soberly told him to be careful about spilling the milk, 
delivering the message, word for word, as I had jokingly 
said to her the morning before. 

The poor fellow in his excitement spilled the whole, 
and with a hasty “ I’ll bring in some more,” dashed with 
glowing face out into the cool air and returned with 
double the usual quantity. 

Afterward I said, ‘‘ Why, Peggy, what made you 
speak so to the milkman ? ” 

‘‘ I thought it my duty to obey orders,” said she, with 


PEGQOTTY IS NOT WILLIN'. 


55 


quiet features but twinkling eyes, “ and by this means 
you have an extra quantity of milk, out of which we can 
have a custard pudding for dinner ; so on the whole I 
think I have done shrewdly.” 

We grew quite attached to our Peggy, and our only 
fear was that we might not be able to keep her long ; 
though for her sake we were not sorry to see her steadily 
gaining in health and strength. But her rosy, pleasant 
face was too comforting a vision for us to look forward 
to parting with without regret. 

She joked about “ Barkis ” and the milkman, and, 
although we said nothing, he and I thought that our 
doctor, who was a widower, was also in a “ Barkis” state 
of mind. Still, as yet, there was nothing very apparent 
except a keen professional interest in her case, and he 
thought rather more tenderness and consideration in the 
treatment of it was displayed than is ordinarily to be ex- 
pected. “ Depend upon it, Kessy, he would not have 
quite so much sympathy for your throat.” 

We kept our own counsel, thinking that when the 
doctor wished to inform Peggy that he was ‘‘willin,”he 
would be able to do so without our assistance. 

The milkman daily grew more enamored as the roses 
increased in pretty Peggy’s cheeks, and our milk pitcher 
was more lavishly supplied than we paid for — which was 
the cause of many jokes at Peggy’s expense, and many 
an extra pudding and blanc-raange to our profit. 

I did pity the simple fellow, and had cautioned Peggy 


PEGGOTTT IS NOT WILLIN'. 


56 


about noticing him when he came in. She could leave 
the bowl on the table and absent herself at that time. 

This plan worked well for a few days, then, in despair, 
he inquired of a servant girl in the yard if Peggy had 
left, and the next morning a note was found lying by the 
bowl of milk, addressed to “ the girl.” As she had never 
held any conversation with him, except to give some 
necessary order about the milk, he had never learned her 
name, and I do not see how she could prevent his falling 
in love with her pretty lips and bright eyes. 

But I was sorry for the silly smitten youth as Peggy, 
full of fun, read me Barkis’s letter : 


Dere Miss. I liave loved you from tlie first time I saw you at 
work, your bright eyes almost make me snow blind, and your 
cheeks make me long for peach time, and your mouth for cherries 
and cream. I do love you and always shall whuther you love me 
or not now my dere wont you be my dere wife I hve at home 
with the old man, and he and the old woman both think Ime old 
enuflf and ort to get marrid, and they say I have a good chance 
to pick out a wife goin round to so manny houses, and seein so 
manny folks. They want I should bring a wife right there to 
live, and I can have haff I make peddling milk and you can help 
the old woman, now I have picked you out and w^ant you to put 
yom* anser in the picher tomoiTow mornin. 

I love you true 

Jo Barker. 


“ Barker ? That is very nearly Barkis, my dear 
Peggy. When will the wedding be ? Soon, I suppose, 
for J 0,, doubtless, is in a hurry, and as you are to go to 
his ‘ hum ’ there will not of necessity be much prepara- 


PEGOOTT7 IS NOT WILLIN'. 


57 


tion. Peggy Barker! Quite a pretty name. I shall 
dislike to lose you, but cannot have the heart to thwart 
your glorious future, so temptingly spread before you. I 
must tell the doctor of your contemplated change of 
prospects, that he may congratulate you.” 

“ No, no ! Promise me you will not let him know of 
this. He is the last person I would have told of the 
ridiculous affair. He might — ” She stopped suddenly. 

“ Might what I inquired. 

I don’t know ; I — I — he might ; ” and she left the 
room hurriedly, with blushing face. 

There is one thing he might do,” thought I, “ and 
that is, propose to our Peggy without fear of receiving 
the same ‘ anser ’ the milk peddler will in the morning.” 

Peggy soon returned with her sewing, and we discussed 
the best manner of disposing of Barkis’s offer. I advised^ 
her to place her refusal in the “ picher,” and, as a motive 
of caution, to sign it “ The Girl,” and to take extra pre- 
cautions that he might never see her again, so as to he 
in danger of a relapse. 

At tea time she read her love-letter to him, who said 
he had “ been expecting the soap-grease and ash-man 
would propose soon ; she had cast such winning glances 
to them that he had noticed our soap-grease now sup- 
plied us with yellow soap, and the ash-man willingly re- 
moved three barrels for a ‘ quarter.’ ” 

“ Then I am not an unprofitable servant in your house- 
hold.” 


58 


PEGaOTTT IS NOT WILLIN'. 


“ Indeed you are not.” , 

She wished his advice as regarded the wording of her 
reply, and said, “ I know by the looks of him he is a 
slimpsey soul, yet I do not wish to hurt his feelings more 
than I can help.” 

“ Let your words be as decided and as few as civility 
will allow, and the worst consequence that can follow 
will be a diminishing of the lacteal bounty.” 

“Yes, that will be best,” he said, “but I do hate to 
have the milk bill increased. I trust the ash-man will 
not propose, and strike for a higher price.” 

With the “picher” next morning was deposited 
Peggy’s refusal of the honor offered her. I made it con- 
venient to busy myself in the dining-room at the milk- 
man’s usual hour, and saw his great red hand swoop 
down upon the dainty snowflake of a note like a butcher 
bird upon a tiny sparrow, and he left the house with a 
look of exultation spread o’er his plain features. 

But for many days thereafter he wore a depressed 
look, and glanced anxiously around whenever he came 
in, but Peggy was never to be seen, and soon our supply 
of milk was cut down to the quantity that we paid for, 
and he had returned to his natural state of an unpretend- 
ing milk peddler. 

One evening not long after, when we three were sitting 
dreamily over the fire, I said to him : “ All our previous 
aid-de-camps have made me a confidant of their old 
loves, but our present Peggy has been very reticent on 


BARKIS SECOND MORE FA VORABL Y RECEIVED. 59 

sucli subjects. Do you suppose she is innocent of any 
past love dreams ? ” 

“ Innocent as a lamb,” broke in Peggy ; “ but for all 
that I’ve been dreadfully disappointed by the perfidy 
of man. The reason I have said nothing, is on the prin- 
ciple that ‘ still waters run deep.’ Love dreams ! Oh, 
I’ve had ’em. My heart’s best affections have been 
trifled with and widowed several times. Though I wore 
no ‘ shrubs ’ that the vulgar eye might guage my grief 
by the expense of my crape, it is none the less true, that 
my heart has been so often pierced by Cupid’s darts, that 
I doubt not but a post-mortem would reveal it to be in as 
shabby and deplorable condition as an old felt hat that 
has served as target for a modern ‘ rifle team ; ’ ” and she 
sprang up laughingly, to throw a little light on the sub- 
ject, lest we should grow too sentimental, dreaming in 
the witching twilight. , 


CHAPTER VI. 

BAKKIS SECOND MORE FAVORABLY RECEIVED. 

The days glided swiftly by, and our attachment to 
Peggy increased with our acquaintance. The doctor 
frankly owned that I owed my improvement full as much 
to the healthful mental atmosphere, created by Peggy’s 
wit and cheerfulness, as to his professional skill. 


60 BARKIS SECOND MORE FA VORABL T RECEIVED. 


I noticed many symptoms that confirmed our original 
diagnosis as to the doctor’s state of mind. He was 
almost always now accompanied by one or another of his 
many small children, and he would invariably find some 
excuse to send them into Peggy’s department. One day 
it would be for a glass of water, lest they might be 
thirsty ere another opportunity offered, whereby they 
might quench their desire for the cooling liquid ; then it 
would be Mamie is very fond of plants, please may she 
go out and see yours, if it will not trouble Peggy too 
much ? ” 

His request was always granted, and as we made it a 
point never to joke Peggy about it, she would innocently 
exert herself to entertain either of the seven motherless 
babes that might be sent out ; and the children, after the 
manner of childhood, finding they were made much of, 
were never in any haste to return. And the doctor 
would be forced to seek the kitchen in pursuit of the 
orphans, where he was liable to find them seated on the 
floor with Peggy, playing perhaps with the box of 
colored marbles (that were once our darling Bertie’s), or 
maybe perched in her lap eating cookies and milk, and 
listening with childish wonder to some tale of fairy- 
land falling sweetly from the dewy lips of our Peggy. 

The children were with difficulty won from their new 
acquaintance, and the doctor, too, would slowly retiro 
from her presence with an I-don’t-wish-to-go expression 
upon his intellectual features. 


BARKIS SECOND MORE FAVORABLY RECEIVED. 61 

It was not long ere the whole troop — Willie, Millie, 
Frankie, Susie, Tommie, Mamie and Jamie — had each in 
turn been introduced, and upon their second visit they 
needed no suggestion to lead them to seek the precincts 
of the kitchen in search of Peggy, sweet cakes and a 
draught of “ Barkis’s ” milk. We told her it was a pity 
that, now when there were so many wee mouths to be 
fed, we were obliged to huy all our milk, the surplus of 
her earlier days here would have been of so much service. 
After the children had fairly learned the way here, it 
was not rarely that two or more would be seen early in 
the forenoon at the back door seeking entrance. “ Ob 
Peggy, wese tomed here wese so lonesome ; Bridget won’t 
let us pay nofair, shes so tross, and my dolly’s head boked, 
and she won’t fix anudder one on for me ; said dit papa 
to, ’twas his bisness, she didn’t know how ; papa says he 
tant, he don’t know how to make dollies worth a tent ; 
won’t you peze, Peddy ? ” 

So “ Peddy” soothed the babies, told Mamie to leave 
the dolly and she would try, and I bought a pretty head 
with golden curls, and ere they came the next morning 
for it Peddy ” had glued it on to the shoulders, had 
fastened the limbs a little more securely, thoroughly 
renovated and cleansed the tiny wardrobe, and Mamie’s 
admiration knew no bounds as she received it. “Oh 
youse dooder dan Biddy, and youse ever so much smarter 
dan papa, for he taid he toodn’t nohow ! and — oh, oh, 
it’s dot a polonade, it’s dot a polonade I Oh, Peddy, 


62 BABKIS SECOND MORE FA VORABL Y RECEIVED. 

I’se doing yight home to ask papa to mischarge Biddy 
yight off and hire you, and you’ll mend my yed dess, 
■won’t you ? Biddy says she -won’t, papa tan dit a wife 
to do it, hut I don’t want no old wife yound ; you tome, 
Peddy, and then papa won’t have to let his toes tick 
outn his tockings when he takes his shoes off. Willie 
tounted free, five, two toes ticking out last night when 
papa warmed his feet.” 

And the wee child, with her repaired dolly hugged 
closely to her,“ yan yight off” to ask the doctor to “ mis- 
charge ” Biddy and hire “ Peddy.” The doctor was em- 
barrassed at his next call, and, with heightened color, 
said he feared his babies had been annoying us, but it 
should not happen again ; he had given the servant strict 
charge to see that they did not “ yun ” away again. I 
assured him the little ones had done no harm ; we had 
not considered it an annoyance, therefore it was none. I 
begged him to feel easy upon that score, and told him 
that I pitied the motherless things, left so much to the 
care of unloving “Bridget.” “You ought to have a 
housekeeper or wife. Doctor, to look more tenderly after 
your darlings than Biddy will do. Now is the age when 
they need and miss petting more than any later period 
in life.” 

“ That is what the children think, and they go to sleep 
and wake up crying, “ Pese mischarge Bridget and dit 
Pec?c?y.” And the doctor asked me if I would recom- 
mend her. 


BARKIS SECOND MORE FA YORABL T RECIEYED. 63 


Oh, yes, but I do not think she would come, though 
she loves the children ; when she leaves me she will re- 
sume her profession.” 

‘‘ You did not think I was in earnest, did you ? I see 
I must make a confession. I am and have been a long 
time deeply in love with your “ Peggotty,” hut for two 
reasons have deferred making any marked advances 
towards gaining her favor ; first, I am the eldest, and 
not many young girls would he willing to assume the 
mothership of my large family ; secondly, I feared Peggy 
might think that I considered her a servant girl, and was 
only airing my gallantry to keep me in practice, whilst I 
reserved my sincerity for those of my own class, and 
therefore I would patiently await her recovery and re- 
sumption of her proper sphere. I should not wish to 
encounter an indignant flash of suspicion from those 
bright eyes of hers even for an instant, hut I find it not 
so easy to keep my resolution as one might deem. As 
Peggy is now, as one might say in your care, I have to 
beg your permission to pay my most honorable addresses 
to her here, and win her if I can.” 

“ He and I esteem you very highly, and should be much 
pleased if Peggy should look upon your suit with favor. 
I do not approve of match-making, and therefore you 
must trust to urging your own suit. Whenever we are 
called to part with Peggy it will be with pain, yet we 
would rather it should be to make your home happy than 
to wear her young life out in the tedium of the school- 


64 BABKIS SECOND MORE FA VOBABL Y RECEIVED. 

room. As an earnest of true faith with you, I will in- 
form you that Peggy is at leisure this morning, that I 
heard her say she wished somebody would ask her to go 
to ride, and your pony and buggy really look very tempt- 
ing out there in the beautiful sunlight.” 

The doctor sprang up with a cordial “ Thank you ; ” 
and just at that moment in walked unconscious Peggy. 

The doctor asked her if she would not “like a drive 
this beautiful morning, I having to visit a patient two 
or three miles out of the village,” etc. 

“ Peddy” evinced a slight surprise in her manner, but 
quietly answered, “ Yes, if the mistress can spare me,” 
with a mischievous look at me. 

I gave the desired consent, and soon she was equipped 
in a neat grey suit, the grey felt hat relieved from its 
sombreness only by a tiny spray of brilliant holly berries 
— a suit which became her style of beauty very much in- 
deed. As the doctor sprang in beside her, and, with his 
strong, white, supple hand, gathered up the lines, the 
pony, unneeding whip or chirrup, arched its pretty neck 
and dashed spiritedly off, and I thought they were the 
finest looking couple that had driven through the village 
for many a day ; and that the doctor could not do better 
than take his children’s advice and “ dit Peddy yight off 
now.” 

I congratulated “Peddy” on her return upon the 
“ healthful glow ” that her ride had given her, and ad- 
vised her to repeat the medicine as often as she had an 


BARKIS SECOND MORE FA VORABL T RECEl TED. 65 


opportunity — advice which thereafter she followed about 
twice a week during the few remaining weeks of her stay 
with us. For it was not long ere she returned from 
drive looking quite “ feverish,” but my most solicitous 
inquiries as to the state of her health were unheeded, 
until I professed that my anxiety was so great that I 
should ‘‘ send for the doctor at once, for delays are dan- 
gerous, and many a life has been lost by neglecting to 
obtain professional advice sufficiently early.” 

I arose from my easy- chair professedly to put my 
threat in execution, when, in terror lest I should carry 
the joke so far, she confessed that the doctor had told 
such a pitiful tale of toeless stockings and cold dinners, 
that her heart had melted in pity for him, and she had 
consented to be little wifey to the doctor and mamma to 
the ragged, neglected seven, on condition that he “ mis- 
charged ” stark, non-caring “ Bridget ” at once, and sup- 
plied her place with a more fit personage. 

In consequence of her promise, she must give her 
notice at once and leave us, to make as soon as possible the 
necessary trousseau. The doctor said a month’s notice 
is ample, but I do not see how I can be married so soon, 
for I wish to have my own wardrobe in perfect order, so 
that I can pay my whole attention to clothing that regi- 
ment of little midgets — and it will take me a year to do 
that thoroughly.” 

“ Yes, and by the end of that time they will all have 


66 BABKIS SECOND MORE FA YORABL Y RECEIVED. 

outgrown their suits, and you will have to begin over 
again,” said I tantalizingly. 

“ Oh dear, how you discourage me ! No you don’t 
either ; I can fix that. I’ll move all the suits down to the 
next younger, and will utilize all the unworn, and leave 
me only one child a year to dress. Grand idea ! I be- 
lieve I’ll get it patented, and all future stepmothers 
shall pay me a royalty of so much per head for all step- 
children whom they clothe after that plan ; ” and Peggy 
danced across the room, laughing at the ease with which 
she had, as she said, “ exposed ” of that dilemma. 

“Seems to me that each time you move the suits 
down there will be a wee one that will have to remain 
empty, if you remain always — only seven.” 

“ Oh, you torment. I shall give them to the poor 
every time. Put that in your smoke and pipe it,” and 
she left me laughing. 

She soon fluttered back and I told her it would kill 
me to have her leave. 

“ Kill you ? Well you’ll have to change a great deal 
or you’ll make a lively corpse.” 

“ You will be married here, and the whole seven shall 
be grouped in a half circle behind you, ready to scream 
mamma to the tops of their voice at a given signal.’’ 

When he came home I overwhelmed him with the 
news of the prospective wedding that was soon to grace 
(grease, he thought, if those seven were coming, would 
be the better word) our parlor. 


BARKIS SECOKD MORE FA YORABL Y RECEIVED. 67 

‘‘ Well, ‘ Peddy,’ ” said he, that evening as we gathered 
before the bright wood fire that lightened and lengthened 
the twilight for us, “ Kessy says you have been seeking 
the light, and have experienced a change of heart, and 
feel it impressed upon you that it is your duty to devote 
the remainder of your life to missionary labors — such as 
comforting the widowers and the motherless. I con- 
gratulate you and wish you all happiness in your new 
sphere, and trust you will never doubt but that your 
conversion was a true one and be inclined to backslide 
or perform your multiform duties — Matron of an ‘ Or- 
phans’ Home’ — with lukewarmness of heart.” 

The ensuing weeks were filled with the hurry and 
bustle incidental to a hasty marriage ; a niece of ours 
kindly added her name to the list of volunteers (that 
always “ stood in the gap ” during the temporary losses 
of our Peggotties), by offering to stay with us till after 
the wedding, or until “ Peggotty the Fifth ” appeared 
upon the scene. I gave Peggy her whole time to devote 
to her wedding paraphernalia, and Etta and I gave her 
what assistance we could. 

The wedding day dawned auspiciously ; the bride was 
charming ; the bridegroom wore a happy, contented 
look ; the seven were duly and newly equipped and present 
with various expressions of bright-eyed wonderment 
upon their faces at the novel scene. But the counte- 
nances of the infantile regiment beamed with joy when 
made to understand that papa was to “ tate Peddy homo 


68 PEGQOTTY FIFTH ASCENDS THE THRONE. 


yight off,” and they said, “Papa shall nehber, nehber 
mischarge Peddy.” 

Willie innocently asked, “Did papa hire Biddy 
way ? ” 


CHAPTER VII. 

PEGGOTTY FIFTH ASCENDS THE THRONE. 

Shortly after the wedding Etta was summoned home 
by sickness in her mother’s family, and we were once 
more alone, hut hopeful of soon securing a successor. 
Again I urged the question of boarding, but he had not 
yet opened his eyes to the fact that now we had all the 
discomforts of housekeeping and none of its comforts. 
The days passed on, and he and I managed the most 
needful duties as best we might ! A friend hearing of 
our dilemma wote us that she knew of a middle-aged 
lady, that had recently been divorced from her partner 
of many years’ joys and sorrows, and she would like to 
secure a good home. The court had decreed her a cer- 
tain amount of alimony, but not sufficient to wholly 
support her, and our friend offered to recommend us to 
her. I wrote that if she could recommend her we would 
be glad to employ the woman, and a few days later a 
note from the widow (.?) herself announced she would be 
with us Saturday by the noon train. We congratulated 


PEGGOTTT FIFTH ASCENDS THE THRONE. 69 

ourselves, for this woman must be just the person — old 
enough to he steady minded, with no thoughts of lovers, 
past or future, and we hailed her coming with joy and 
hope. Saturday came, and a heavy snow was falling, 
which somewhat damped our hopes of the promised 
arrival, and, tired, sick and almost discouraged, I dragged 
wearily through the morning’s work, setting my house 
in order for the Sabbath. 

Soon after the arrival of the train to our station was 
heralded by the shrill whistle, footsteps on the piazza 
attracted my attention, and a querulous voice near the 
dining-room entrance was heard asking, ‘‘ Are you sure 
this is the place ? ’cause I don’t want to knock till I’m 
sure.” 

A sharp boyish voice replied, “ Yes, I knows this is 
where they live.” 

Then a nervous rap-rap-rap sounded upon the door. 

I opened it and admitted the oldest young woman, or 
the youngest old woman (I do not know which would be 
the most correct description) that I ever met with. The 
small boy deposited on the floor a valise, about the 
dimension and shape of what the farmers denominate a 
four-bushel bag, and receiving a few pennies as remuner- 
ation for his services, departed after giving me a know- 
ing look that said plainly, “Aint she a queer ’un ? ” 

Whilst she was divesting herself of her wrappings I 
observed closely her general appearance. A small 
withered old face of apparently sixty (though I learned 


70 PEOGOTTT FIFTH ASVEHDS THE TEBOHK 


afterward she professed only to have known forty) sum- 
mers, in which was deeply set two small, glittering, rest- 
less black eyes, a straight nose, nervous mouth that, by 
her frequent grimaces to make a favorable impression, 
disclosed the fact of its containing a full set of dentist’s 
ware, a high-tempered chin, and, to go upwards again, a 
low forehead, nearly hidden from view by a row of fine 
curls or “ idiot-fringe” that fell over it. The head was 
surmounted by a black velvet hat, crowned with a wealth 
of large pink roses, a jaunty black lace veil attached, now 
thrown carelessly to one side ; a black velvet cloak of old 
style but nice texture, hands encased in black kids, her 
dress of black brillianteen was elaborately made, a black 
and white p/aid shawl was thrown, with an attempt at 
gracefulness, over one arm, a heavy lace ruche in the 
throat of her cloak, and an elaborate pink satin necktie, 
adorned with long heavily-knotted pink fringe, completed 
her appearance at her entrance. 

When her ^‘things” (as she called them) were re- 
moved, I saw before me a small, wiry-framed woman, 
with thin hands that resembled claws, and caused a 
tremor throughout my frame, as I thought how such 
hands would clutch if they saw fit. The hair was elabo- 
rately, and, for a woman of her apparent age, mysteriously 
arranged, for just as one would think the secret was dis- 
covered, and that it was undeniably false, another 
view of this marvel of art (for such X yet believe it 
must have been) would seem to refute the imputation 


PEGG0TT7 FIFTH A8GEHD8 THE THROHE. 71 


and assert its naturalness. I conducted her and her 
trappings to the sacred realm above, and once more went 
through the honors of installation. As I turned to leave 
her, that she might assume (as I supposed she would) 
her working garments, she called me back to say that her 
trunk was at the depot and she would like me to send 
for it as soon as possible. 

I passed down the stairs, expecting she would soon 
follow and commence upon her duties ; yet the afternoon 
wore away and tea time was at hand before she put in 
an appearance, I inferred that she did not think it 
worth while to commence her labors so late in the week 
— a symptom that did not augur well for our mutual 
satisfaction. 

It was with difficulty that I suppressed my amuse- 
ment at her efforts to assume coquettish graces, and the 
airs suited to a gushing maiden of sixteen short, simple 
summers, when at the tea table I introduced her to Mm, 
He received it imperturbably, of course, which made it 
all the more ludicrous to me. She regretted so much 
that I had not a piano, for she was very fond of music, 
and had “ lotted ” upon my playing for her evenings. 
She simpered and trifled with her toast, and now and 
then supplemented her performances by an attempt to 
slyly adjust her teeth, that were possessed of that agree- 
able quality of occasionally dropping from her mouth. 
By the time our tea was disposed of, my mind was con- 


72 PEGQOTTY FIFTH ASCENDS TEE THRONE. 


vinced upon one point — that she either was on the eve 
of insanity or was recovering from an attack. 

I told him afterward of my conclusion, and that I 
should not keep her, for I have from childhood possessed 
a horror of a person that is ever so slightly deranged — be 
it from champagne or any other cause, genteel or other- 
wise. 

“ Oh, what nonsense ; it is all in your imaginings. 
You have the most vivid imagination of any woman I 
ever knew, and when it once gets started it runs away 
with you. Now please don’t go to fretting yourself, my 
dear, over any such foolish notions. I did not see any- 
thing that betokened insanity. Certainly the display 
she made of her regret that our sitting-room was 
minus a piano, luas rather laughable under the circum- 
stances. Perhaps I will buy you one so that you can 
drum for her amusement. But, seriously, I see nothing 
farther about her than that she is queer, and has a ridic- 
ulous desire to appear youthful.” 

When he alluded to my “ vivid imagination ” I was 
silenced, and, after that “ bewitching way ” of mine, 
suffered him to think he had convinced me of my error. 
But not in the least. Though I know when I had best 
drop a subject and await the development of the future, 
to justify my opinion, yet I am not easily led to believe 
that a self-evident fact is otherwise than it appears until 
it is proved so. 

He is continually informing me, when I tell him a cer- 


PEGQOTTY FIFTH ASCENDS THE THRONE. 73 

tain event is going to happen, that I “possess a very- 
vivid imagination, and the -whole thing is a figment, 
a chimera, of your own creation, and really you should 
be more careful about allowing yourself to be so mis- 
led.” 

But when events justify my prophecies he does not 
yield the point, but simply says, “Fate chanced to prove 
your words true, that is all.” He will not acknowledge 
that the whole thing consists in the fact that I have 
eyes and use them, ears that hear and understand. I 
yielded the point and assented that “Peggotty the Fifth’ 
should stay until we could agree that it was best for hei 
to leave ; but this decision was not made without some 
qualms of fear that some day I should feel the clutch of 
those thin fingers in rather an unpleasant manner. 

I waited developments with much anxiety. She grad- 
ually assumed charge of her duties, and performed them 
after a certain fashion of her own, which was to do noth- 
ing well, yet to fall short of doing it sufiSciently ill to 
warrant a discharge for that and nothing else. He, for 
the first time since our marriage, began to look strangely 
at the too oft repeated calls for butter, sugar, eggs, 
lemons, etc. “ Do you know,” said he to me in awed 
tones, “ that our expenses are double what they were be- 
fore we had help ? ” 

“ Doubtless they are, my dear. Did you not expect 
it ? There are three of us now, and our Peggotties are 
careless of expense. Without doubt a great deal is 


74 PEGGOTTY FIFTH ASCENDS THE THRONE. 


swept up from tlie cook-room floor. ■ I do not suspect 
either of the number of any intentional dishonesty.” 

Cannot you take charge of the cooking personally, 
stay out here and direct them, and see that this waste is 
stopped ? ” asked he anxiously. 

“ Certainly I can do so ; but you would immediately 
have to search for No. 6. Ordinary servants will not 
submit to such strict surveillance, and we do not employ 
such — only those who deem themselves our equals and 
stand upon their dignity at the slightest attempt at dic- 
tation.” 

“ What shall we do tben ? ” 

“ Had we not better try boarding ? ” I suggested 
meekly, as if the thought had just struck me as a favora- 
ble idea. Would it not be preferable to this bother of 
every now and then dragging along a week or two any- 
way, whilst you are forced to neglect your office for a 
number of days seeking help ? When we do find a 
person the work is not satisfactorily performed. I am 
obliged to treat them as an equal, whether they have an 
intelligent idea in their heads or not, and you aver that 
our bills are now double what they were before we had 
help, and you know how rarely in these days a guest sits 
at our table. Now, had we better not board ? ” 

“ No ; most decidely not. I do not see how we can 
board ; but it appears to me as if you might contrive 
some way to remedy these evils. Come now, can you 
not ? ” said he coaxingly. 


EE'S LIKE OLD GUGGIKS. 


75 


I was nearly vexed, but concealed it. “ J ust like a 
man,” I thought, “always to think that a woman can 
contrive to get along somehow.” If there is a woman 
that has not been told so a thousand times when her 
hands and heart were full, and more duties were clamor- 
ing for attention than two could do full justice to, I wish 
she would now speak, and the whole world should listen. 

Peggotty still pegged on her daily way more or less ir- 
regularly as the fit took her, and I tried to skillfully 
manage things “ somehow,” so that he might be better 
satisfied with the net results, and equally careful not to 
offend thereby any of her many jealous points of charac- 
ter, lest we might again suddenly find ourselves under 
the necessity of his starting forth upon a “ Peggotty 
hunt,” and I be compelled to weakly wield the broom 
and duster for a few weeks. 


CHAPTER VIII. 
he’s like old guggins. 

Whether jealous people are always insane or not I 
do not know, but one thing is certain, an insane person is 
always jealous. I never yet saw one but observation of 
whom would detect that you were always subjected to a 
suspicious surveillance from the corner of their eyes, and 
in making the simplest remark you will suddenly find 


76 


EE '8 LIKE OLD GUGGLES. 


yourself coufronted with a sparkling, darkling eye, and 
the stern question, “ What do you mean ? ” I have 
heard that question so many times, with the unmistaka- 
ble tone of the maniac, that those simple words, used 
by the sanest person, strike a terror into my innermost 
sensitiveness that I do not easily recover from. Each 
week I was becoming more and more nervous, as I be- 
came more thoroughly aware that my suspicions were cor- 
rect, and that “ Peggotty ” was deranged, yet nothing I 
could tell him of her strangeness would convince him. 
He never saw anything. Indeed she did conceal most 
of her freaks in his presence, and in the presence of our 
family physician. The old doctor laughed when I asked 
him if he observed aught about her that spoke of a de- 
ranged mind. “ No,” said he, jocularly. “ I concluded 
she hadn’t any mind at all, for I always notice she be- 
gins to smirk and flirt around girlishly whenever she sees 
me coming in.” 

I saw he was obtuse, and nothing was to be gained 
from him, so I gathered my courage, and awaited the 
crisis which I knew must come soon. 

Lately she had shown a new tendency, that of watch- 
ing him, and comparing him to “ Old Guggins,” her late 
lord and master. She would rush into the sitting-room 
— ‘‘he is going over the hill, ma’am, I saw him.” 

“ Well, what of it ? ” I would ask. 

“You take it cool now, but you won’t always ; that’s 
the way old Guggins used to do. I never knew where 


HE'S LIKE OLD GUGQINS. 77 

he 'werit to ; he makes me think every day of old Gug- 
gins.” 

Perhaps the next night it would he, “ Do you know 
where he went after tea ? ” 

« No.” 

“Well, /do. He went down the street — that’s the 
way old Guggins used to do. Oh, I thought he would 
kill me ! He never would buy me sirloin steak to make 
mince pies, he wouldn’t ; old Guggins was just so tight ; 
he’d start off down street, and I wouldn’t know where 
he was going, and he’d think I didn’t see him, and I’d 
run to the door and holler after him, ‘ Thought you was 
smart, didn’t ye, old Guggins ? but I see you, you didn’t 
get off so sly as you expected, did ye, old Guggins ? ’ And 
then when he came home he’d be mad ’cause I hollered 
at him, and the neighbors heard it. I was glad he was 
ashamed to have the neighborhood see just how mean he 
would act. That’s the way old Guggins done for years, 
but I’d keep watch and holler at him, so the neighbors 
could see what he was up to. He makes me think 
dreadfully of old Guggins. I don’t believe you’ll always 
live with him. When they get to going so you can’t 
stand it long.” 

I thought, “ the more I see and hear from you do I 
realize that I cannot ‘ stand ’ your presence long.” I 
had been confined to my room much more than usual 
during the reign of “ Peggotty the Fifth,” so had not be- 
come as well posted upon her household customs, habits 


78 


EE' 8 LIKE OLD GUG0IN8. 


of personal cleanliness, and many idiosyn — crazys, as 
might have been expected in the same length of time 
had it been otherwise. One day, for instance, she noticed 
a new supply of hem-stitched pocket handkerchiefs of 
mine. 

“ What do you do with so many handkerchiefs ? ” 

‘ “ So many ? There is not a large supply.” 

“ I should think so ; I never use such things and 
her pallid nose curled with contempt for the weakness of 
those who did. I have but one, and that a peddler 
gave me.” 

‘•But one ! What do you use ? ” 

“ For every day, I use my apron, and when I’m 
dressed up, I use my overskirt or polonaise. I like the. 
fashion ever so much, they are so handy for that. Be- 
fore they came into fashion it was a real bother to turn 
up the facing of your dress in the street, but I always 
did though, and if any of the greeneys wanted to laugh ^ 
they might. I don’t waste my money for handkerchiefs, 
nor my sister don’t neither, and she is a rich widow, and 
last Christmas she had a dozen handkerchiefs on the tree 
from a niece, and I thought, and so did she, that it was 
mean and insulting to give anybody a present of some- 
thing they didn’t need, nor never used. I thought it 
dreadful queer. I don’t see what they meant by it, for 
they knew she never used any. They might have give 
her something she’d have liked — a music box or some- 
thing. Now, I’ve got rid of old Guggins, I’d be con- 


EE'S LIKE OLD QUGGINS. 


79 


tented if I had a music box.” She stopped to catch her 
breath, and I hurried from the room in complete disgust. 

How could I ever endure her presence another hour ? 
Horrible thought — her overskirt and polonaise ! Shall 
I ever forget it ? It is no wonder that people say “ old 
Guggins was glad to get rid of her,” thought I, and 
that she gained her divorce only because he would not 
trouble himself to oppose it, as he well might have done 
had he so chosen. 

“ Old Guggins ! ” I congratulate you upon your re- 
lease ! 

When I would tell Mm of her insane ramblings, Tie 
would laugh it off, saying she was simply disagreeable, 
and he did not wonder that Mr. Guggins was willing she 
should obtain a divorce from him. But when he came 
home at night, found me sick in bed, no supper awaiting 
his pleasure, and learned that she had packed her small (.?*) 
valise and left on the down train for an unknown 
destination, and indefinite length of time, he began to 
think that perhaps she had become a little strange. He 
would not allow now that I was right at first, but rather 
that matters had chanced to turn into the very channel’ 
that my “ vivid imagination had fancied they run in at 
first.” 

Week after week fled and we heard nothing of “ Peg- 
gotty,” and should never have expected to except that 
her trunk was there, and she had left her clothing strewn 
around the room, in the clothes room and bureau, thus 


80 


THE CONTESTED WILL. 


proving that she either was completely wild, or intended 
to return. We left no stone unturned to supply her 
place, and had been successful at last, and were expect- 
ing “ Peggotty ” the Sixth the next Monday, when one 
Wednesday evening after four weeks absence, she walked 
in unconcernedly and without the slightest apology for 
her long absence. She did mention that she had en- 
joyed herself, and had been with her sister. As it was 
late, we thought best not to have a scene with her, but 
in the morning to discharge her, or rather tell her to pack 
her trunk and leave the bouse. But he wished me to be 
mild about it, for he would not have her leave angry on 
any account. 


CHAPTER IX. 

THE CONTESTED WILL, 

In the morning when she came down I was busy about 
breakfast. She began at once to assist me. I told her 
she need not, as during her absence I had supplied her 
place, and what was due her at the time she left I 
would pay her as soon as she had packed her trunk. 

‘‘Would you discharge me without notice 

“7 consider that you discharged yourself, when you 
left me without notice, and remained away a month 


THE CONTESTED WILL. 


81 


without a word of information as to your whereabouts/’ 

“ That was a different thing ; I wanted a vacation 
then.” 

“ And I wish help that I can depend upon. There is 
no need of words. You must pack your trunk at once 
and leave to-day. Your money is awaiting ?/ow.” 

“ I shall not go,” said she, stubbornly. “ I shall stay 
^ntil next Monday ; that is when I intended to go, and 
I shall not go until then. I’ll have you to know that I 
did not intend to stay here only this week. I’ve got a 
place to keep house for a widower in Egmont, and was • 
going next Monday, and shall not go before for anybody. 
I’ve got a beautiful place, not much to do, most they 
want is for me to be agreeable to the father — he is so 
lonesome.” 

All this was said so excitedly, that I do not think she 
dreamed at first that she had told mo of her plans, and 
thus proved her inconsistency in blaming me for filling 
her place in her absence, at the same time that she had 
been away from us so long, and was seeking a more con- 
genial situation. A vision of her, as she would appear 
when she felt it her business to play the devoted, caused 
an involuntary smile to cross my features. 

“ Laughing at me, are you ? ” she shrieked. “ I am 
as good as you are, and if you don’t let me stay here 
until I am ready to leave. I’ll set your neighbors all 
against you. I’ll fix things so you won’t have a friend. 
I’ll tell them you talk about ’em, that you make fun of 


82 


THE CONTESTED WILL. 


’em. They’ll believe me because I’ve lived here and 
been treated like the family, and they’ll think I know.” 

“ Do jour worst,” said I, coolly ; “ any friend you can 
influence, I am willing to lose ; but the first step for 
you is to pack your trunk at once.” 

She went to her room and I saw her not again until 
dinner time. . ^ 

“ Ah,” I thought, “ she is not going till night.” ' 
After dinner she kindly offered to assist me. I 
thanked her, but told her nay, that I would not hinder 
• her j)acking, and she returned to her room. But imag- 
ine my astonishment as train time arrived, and I had 
heard nothing from her. I called to her, and she re- 
minded me that she had told me in the morning that 
she should not go, and she shouldn’t until she got ready. 

I had just made up my mind to send for the village 
police to remove our “ Peggotty ” when he returned, but 
he forbade it ; he thought if we did so, she might make 
her threat good of trying to annoy us ; I thought it best 
to take the risk of that without any worry, but he was 
for temporizing ; she had not insulted him, so of course 
what she had said to me was a mere trifle in his estima- 
tion ; and he said, let her stay till morning and then try 
again. 

The next morning I told her emphatically she must 
go. 

“ What ! in this storm ? ” 

There was a slight drizzle. 


THE CONTESTED WILL. 


83 


“ Yes,” I told her, and she passed up to her room, as I 
innocently supposed to pack, but instead of that, an 
hour or two afterward she came down with some articles 
of clothing she had washed in the bowl upon the com- 
mode in her room, and now hung them by the fire to dry. 

What now do you think of my wisdom in giving 
help — not servants, oh, no ! a superior class (?) — a taste- 
ful apartment ? IIow it must look now, for one always 
needed to understand sculling to enter with safety a 
room where she was washing; and worse, if possible, 
here were those clothes half washed, filling the rooms 
with their filthy steam ! 

What should I, what could I, do ? Here was a fine 
ending to his temporizing policy. I could have given 
way to my feelings easily, but I would control myself as 
long as possible, and what made it so hard to bear was, 
that he being a man, toould not see what there was about 
the whole affair to vex me so sorely. Why is it ? If 
he wished to discharge a clerk in the office, and said 
clerk should persist in occupying the office till such time 
as he pleased to depart, would he not see the point ? I 
think so, and realize that it was. a sharp point too. 

For a few moments I was stunned at the coolness of 
her impudence, but recovered myself in time to intercept 
her upon her return to the staircase, and say firmly and 
sternly, “ ‘ Peggotty,’ is your trunk packed ? ” 

“No, ma’am. I told you I should not go until 
Monday, and I shan’t.” 


84 


THE CONTESTED WILL. 


I went at once to her room and found she had told the 
truth. Shd-had not disturbed an article in her bureau. 
In short, her room no more betokened that its occupant 
had the slightest intention of taking her departure than 
my own did. Again I asked myself, what should I 
do ? He would not return for hours. I had foolishly 
promised him that I would not call the police, and in 
consequence of that error I was defied by a shrewd 
maniac. If I could have photographed the expression 
of malicious cunning that crossed her face ! when I again 
ordered her to pack that trunk at once, as she said, 
‘‘How can I ? You know some of my clothes are just 
washed, and I cannot pack wet things.” 

That explained why she had wet her clothes, that she 
might have an excuse to stay. I told her to pack her 
dry things, and when he returned we would attend to 
her case. 

He came, and when informed of the status matters 
were assuming, he thought it time for some decisive ac- 
tion. “ Go to her and say that I will have an express- 
man here at half past four to take her trunk to the 
depot.” 

I did so gladly. There she sat in her room rocking 
away as if for a wager, drumming her heels upon the 
carpet, her nose-glasses (as she styled them) perched 
pertly upon her charming nasal organ, apparently deeply 
interested in reading a chapter from the Scriptures. 


TEE CONTESTED WILL. $5 

Her room still bore the settled-for-life look it wore upon 
my other visits to it. I gave her the message. 

With a shriek of rage she sprang from her contented 
posture. “ I tell you I ivill not go ! I tell you I can^t 
go — my things are wet ! Don’t you hear ? You are a 
cruel-hearted woman. Turn me out of doors ? I will not 
go ! ” Each exclamation was a sharp scream that pierced 
my brain like a knife. She sank back into the rocking 
chair with an air of sullen determination not to move 
again. 

I left her without another word, intending to go down 
to the office for help, but ere I had donned my wrap- 
pings, she had with maniacal shrewdness divined what 
my next move would doubtless be, and hastened to anti- 
cipate me, and I heard her fleeting (for once) step on 
the stairs. She sped through the dining-room out of 
doors. 

I removed all appearance of my intention to go out, and 
returned to the parlor to await the rising of the curtain 
upon the next act. It soon arose. She burst into the 
house with a look of triumph. “ He says he’s perfectly 
willing I should stay,” and with a mocking laugh went 
up to her room. 

Soon as the door closed upon her. Without waiting 
to analyze the probable truth of her report, my severely 
taxed nervous system succumbed to this last straw, and 
I indulged in a genuine fit of hysterics. I fought the 
battle out alone, and when I had reached the exhausted 


86 TEE CONTESTED WILL. 

state of calmness that always follows, he chanced to 
come in. 

“ What is the matter ? ” 

‘‘Matter enough I should think, after all that has 
passed ; all the impudence and defiance that I have 
borne from her, for you to yield the point and give her 
permission to stay ! How could you do it ? ” 

“ I did not do so. She has taken that way to gain 
time.” With a look at the clock, “ It is impossible for her 
to go to-night as the train is nearly due. She has out- 
witted us. But she shall go in the morning, packed’ or 
unpacked,” and with rapid steps he strode up the stair- 
way to her room, and told her she could have one night’s 
shelter, as there was no later train, but in the morning 
he and the expressman would be there in season to finish 
any packing that might be left undone. 

How she did rage. “ She couldn’t go ! she wouldn’t 
go!” 

Then she could be helped out, he told her, and came 
down to see if he could quiet his invalid. My nerves 
were too much shaken by the glimpses of Bedlam I had 
seen to be calmed very easily. He was forced to take 
his tea alone, knowing that he had a full-fiedged maniac 
up stairs, and as I told him, one in the earlier stages' 'of 
it in our room. 

He went out after tea “like old Guggins,” and I hear- 
ing her in the dining-room, arose and passed out into the 
rooms carelessly as if I had some errand there. She was 


THE CONTESTED WILL. 


87 


not visible until I reached the cook room. At first I 
saw no one even there, and then I could not repress a 
sudden start. She was standing upon the cooking stove, 
one foot upon either of the front covers, with arms 
folded calmly upon her bosom. She glared and leered 
down upon me, saying that she wished to warm her feet. 
She looked as though she might spring from lier perch 
and clutch me with those terror-inspiring claws of 
hers ; I did not care to give her a chance, and therefore 
left the room as quickly as possible, internally breathing 
the wish that she might get her feet loell warmed. 

That night I passed with eye and ear on the alert, 
until the gray dawn of morning gave me courage to hope 
that the danger was over, and I sank with relief into a 
morning sleep. 

When “ Peggotty ” made her morning appearance 
she was dressed identically as upon her arrival, so we 
felt free to presume that she deemed that her most 
striking costume, yet in truth she was always dressed 
strikingly(?). She came down with her valise grasped 
in both hands, with an air worthy of the most notable 
carpet-bagger of them all. Her trunk was soon en route 
for the station, as it ought to have been long before. 

True to her first promise, she wended her way, accom- 
panied by her emblematical baggage, to the nearest 
neighbor, and made a short, and as I heard afterward, 
exciting call, telling anything and everything, false or 
true, that she could manufacture or remember ; so by 


88 


THE CONTESTED WILL. 


that means she could possibly indirectly gain their sym- 
pathy, and a boarding place until the following week — 
“ for I have told them I would not go till next week, 
and I don’t mean to.” 

I could see her as she rapidly passed from house to 
house, up and down the street, on her unsuccessful tour in 
pursuit of a boarding house ; at each place I heard she 
told the same tale of woe, oppression, and grief. That 
he and I led a terrible life, or rather that “ he is dread- 
ful good to her, but she uses him shamefully,” etc. She 
forgot to tell them that he resembled “ old Guggins.” 
She gained the favor at one place to unpack her “ hand- 
bag ” for a few days, and soon a line adorned the yard, 
and her half dozen pieces (she had wet so that they could 
not be packed) were flaunting exultantly to the breeze. 
Occasionally she would come out and daintily claw them 
a trifle, to see if they were drying well, then glance 
triumphantly at our unhappy domicile (perhaps to see 
if there was crape on the door in her remembrance). 


PEGOOTTT SIXTH ON DECK. 


89 


CHAPTER X. 

PEGGOTTY SIXTH ON DECK. 

As may well be imagined, the foregoing experiences 
did not tend to improve my shattered health, and I was 
now sick indeed, as well as most thoroughly discouraged ; 
the expected help disappointed us, and though I knew 
not what to do, yet I fear I did not mourn as I ought, 
for it seemed to me that another “ Peggotty ” like the 
last would be “ one drop too much ” in my cup, and I 
feared the test. 

For quite a space of time after the departure of 
‘‘Peggotty” the Fifth the throne was vacant, and our 
family affairs were kept in order by a corps of volunteers 
of friends and relatives ; the respite was welcome to me, 
however severe a tax it may have been felt by them, and 
I will confess that I hailed with dread the advent of 
“ Peggotty ” the Sixth. 

The doctor called one day. “ What makes you look 
so blue this beautiful sunny morning ? ” was his first 
salutation. 

“ Oh, dear ! I am so tired of trying to keep house ; 
cousin Nannie thinks she cannot stay any longer, and he 
is out on a Peggotty hunt again ; he had heard of one 
that he thinks will come, and I have prayed all day that 


90 


PEQGOTTT SIXTH ON DECK. 


the Lord will not let her come, that some engagement 
may prevent his being successful.” 

The doctor laughed heartily. “ What a prayer ! 
But why do you not board ? it would he much better 
for you, with your health, .to he relieved from this con- 
stant care and worry ; the irritation of these frequent 
changes, to say nothing of the fret during their stay, is 
a sad drawback upon your recovery.” 

I would like’ to board, but can never convince Mm 
the thing is practicable, and suppose we shall have to 
live in some manner that resembles house-keeping, until 
he opens his eyes to the facts of a few more of the ills 
of tMs manner of living,” 

The next day when the doctor came, he inquired 
what success he met with upon his “ hunting excursion,” 
and whether my prayer was answered. I had the plea- 
sure of informing him that “ the Lord heard my prayer, 
and that he in consequence thereof had to seek his game 
in a new and strange field in a far country, from the fast- 
nesses of which would emerge the next week ‘ Peggotty ^ 
the Sixth.” 

Yet I freely confessed to Nannie that I had hoped he 
would be unsuccessful, and we should be forced to board. 
Sickness and care were fast ageing and unnerving me, and 
there was'not one throb of pleasure, that I soon should 
have a new “ quean ” as the Scotch so aptly call them. 

When the door-bell announced her arrival, there was 


PEQQOTTT SIXTH ON DECK. ' 91 

a ciioking in my throat, and 1 begged that I might be 
excused from seeing her that day at least. 

Nannie did the honors, and I was not presented until 
somewhat later. 

I certainly did not fall in love with her, nor do I think 
any one else ever did — before nor since. Her counte- 
nance wore an. extremely mysterious, unreadable expres- 
sion; in fact, it might be produced by a state of chronic 
self-mystification, that was reflected in her face. With 
it all was a look that promised to become surly upon 
sligh t p’-ovocation. The expression of the whole was de- 
cidedly repellant ; a large round head set like “Wouter 
Van Twiller ” upon her shoulders, without the support 
of any neck “ to speak of ; ” a large waist, not shapeless, 
for everything possesses shape of some kind, but it was 
decidedly unlike any other form I ever met with (per- 
haps it was Venus-like) ; long, large limbs, that when 
she sat down, she had a peculiar knack of arranging her 
drapery over them so extremely graceful, that it set off 
and displayed their faultless symmetry with the precis- 
ion usually granted only to the male sex. This, I found 
upon acquaintance, was no grace {?) adopted for the 
drawing-room only, it was the perfection of habit. She 
met me with an air, not only impressing me with the fact 
that she was asserting her equality, but that she 
wished me to understand that it was a favor conferred 
upon me, that she did not “ go out ” everywhere. I 
was learning not to be surprised at anything. She was 


92 PEQGOTTY SIXTH ON DECK. 

ever watching lest your words might contain some con- 
cealed meaning. 

The caution I was obliged to observe lest I might 
offend some unknown sensitive point, and thus precipi- 
tate a disastrous explosion, produced a habit of precis- 
ion and' care, that rendered me a fit person to guard 
a powder house or nitro-glycerine magazine. 

Her ignorance in many things led her to suspect insult 
where none was intended, as for instance ; One day, 
after dining at a certain place, in telling me of her plea- 
sures, she said, ‘‘ But there was one thing I did not 
understand — Mr. Marvin, when he served the turkey, 
asked each of us what part we would have ? What did 
he mean ? Did he do it to insult us ? That’s what I 
wish to know. Do you think it very polite for him to 
make talk over the victuals at the table ? I thought 
folks went to the table to eat what was set before them 
— that’s the way I was brought up.” This woman felt 
it a condescension to “ work out ” anywhere, and would 
not unless she could be admitted to the table, the 
sitting-room and parlor as an equal ! 

Never shall I forget the look with which she con- 
fronted me once for saying “ Yes’m,” a childish habit 
I have never quite recovered from. The manner with 
which I was commanded never to insult her that way 
again was inimitable. She informed me that she was 
not “ brought up ” to be spoken to in that way, and she 
would “not submit to it.” I did not know but the 


PEGGOTTT SIXTH ON DECK. 


93 


masculine being in her righteous anger would personally 
chastise me. 

It was wonderful that a sensible woman would humble 
herself to submit to such indignities ? But I was help- 
less, and at their mercy ; if we “ kept house,” we must 
have a woman of superior (.?^) judgment to help us — one 
that could be treated and trusted “like one of the 
family,” for how could I, confined to my room, be ex- 
pected to put up with the ordinary class of help ? They 
are so unreliable, and so liable to be saucy and imperti- 
nent, that he would not feel safe to leave me in their 
care ! And we must have help that would be different ! 

“Peggotty ” the Sixth was just at that most interest- 
ing crisis of life where one stands upon the threshold 
of confirmed old-maidism, and turns to give one linger- 
ing glance to rosy years of girlhood, left forever behind 
them, like golden beads counted off from a chain, and 
thoughtlessly allowed to drop into a swiftly fiowing river, 
that would ever course onward and bear them yearly 
farther and farther from mortal vision. The fact that her 
girlhood had passed unappreciated, doubtless had much to 
do with her strange moods, for it is hard for us to believe 
that the reason we are not appreciated, as we term it, 
is simply because there is nothing to appreciate. 

Pure gold rarely goes begging. 

Her duties, for a short while, were performed reason- 
ably well, but with the oddest manner accompanying 
their discharge that even I had ever met with. Usual- 


94 


PEQOOTTY SIXTH OH DECK 


ly her appearance was the perfection of taciturnity itself, 
yet occasionally she had spasmodic attacks of volubility, 
that were at times less agreeable than her most taciturn 
manner. With every month’s acquaintance her symp- 
toms of extreme sensitiveness were more frequently made 
manifest. After an attack of insane raving, superinduced 
by resentment at some fancied slight, or it might be wil- 
ful misunderstanding, she would, when subdued and pos- 
sibly ashamed of herself, make a sort of half-way 
apology, by saying that she had “ not felt well,” or that 

I have my poor days same as everybody, -and I am 
naturally sensitive, though my disposition used to he 
good as anybody’s before I had so much to try it.” 

What she alluded to was a mystery, but I frequently 
prayed mentally that, for the comfort of those she came 
in contact with, she might some day become more sensi- 
ble, and less sensitive. 

An unexpected guest to dinner was th^ signal for a fit 
of the sulks, that it would take days to eradicate, and 
my heart learned to beat with fear whene'C'er a friend 
chanced to drop in near the dinner hour, and it was such 
a relief, if they pleaded a previous engagement, or had 
already dined. The fact that I was busy at all times, 
when my health would allow me, with my books and 
writing, seemed to be taken by her as a personal griev- 
ance, and was the signal for her to don the war-paint,” 
and give the “whoop ” that presaged general activity of 
^he belligerent elements of her illy-balanced disposition. 


PEOQOTTT GETS FUNNY, 


95 


CHAPTER XL 

PEGGOTTY GETS FUNNY. 

Painful as was my situation at times, yet a^ others 
there were many things that amused me. During a 
carnival of sleighing I found much enjoyment in observ- 
ing the different turnouts, and the merry faces of the 
happy pleasure seekers ; and often I spoke to /um at 
night of the gay street scenes of the day, and its cheeri- 
ness. But upon “ Peggotty ” the effect was just the oppo- 
site. One would suppose that each merry party, in gain- 
ing their own happiness, had robbed her of what should 
have been her portion. The merrier and gayer the pageant 
upon the streets, the more sorrowful became her coun- 
tenance ; the ladies that tripped along the sidewalk 
sunny days, in their jaunty street costumes — they too 
were enemies of hers, and caused her many unhappy 
hours. She appeared to think that they looked so care 
free and contented, it must be that they were rich, and 
had nothing to do ; a combination that formed her chief 
idea of happiness. In vain I sought to convince her 
that this one appearance on the street might be a hard- 
earned and much prized half-holiday of some hard work- 
ing wife or mother, from which she must extract joy and 
strength of spirit sufficient to last her a week, ere she 


•96 


PEGQ0TT7 GETS FUNNT. 


could escape again from her cares. But it is useless to 
make an effort to soothe one that desires above all things 
to he unhappy. 

She had also the least capability for appreciating a 
joke of any person that ever I met with, yet the proof 
of all rules is the exception. One day she rushed into 
my room with her face wreathed in smiles ; amusement 
rippled from her eyes, and lurked around each hard fea- 
ture. It was plain that her perceptive faculties, as the 
phrenologists would say, had been roused by something 
ludicrous, and really touched at last. “ Did you see it 
go up ? ” 

I have noticed nothing particular go up.” 

“ Oh, it was the most comical looking sleigh full of 
people ; it looked just like a large cage on runners ; it 
had bars like a cage up the sides, the lop was covered 
with a cloth, and it said on the side ‘ Solomon’s Cage 
for the Eagle Bird.’” 

I had not seen it, but any one in Ehode Island, and 
many Philadelphians, perhaps, have seen the cage on 
wheels, and will see the point. It was neither more nor 
less than the moving wagon “ Eagle Bird ” of the vete- 
ran driver “ Sol. Gage,” placed for convenience upon 
runners. 

It was a joke not soon forgotten by us, but it would 
have cost us a disastrous battle to have kindly told her 
that she had not read rightly. She would at once have 
informed me with a shriek of rage, and unequalled 


PEOQOTTT GETS FUNNY. 


97 


rapidity of utterance that, “ you needn’t insinuate I 
can’t read. I may , not be as accomplished as you are, 
but I ain’t no fool ! I ain’t a nigger ! I ain’t a paddy, 
nor a dog ! nor I shan’t work where I am treated like 
one, and if you want a dog or a servant, you can get 
somebody else as quick as you are a mind to. I never 
was a servant, nor I won’t be. If I ain’t as good as you 
I’ll leave.” As I could not afford to lose an honest 
“ Peggotty ” I was forced to allow her the chance of 
making herself ridiculous elsewhere, rather than to in a 
friendly manner rectify her blunder. 

Another time, in speaking of a lady we had both 
heard sing, and I was praising her voice, “Peggotty” 
said she had the best “ solo ” voice she ever heard. “ I 
always shall think that I might have made a good solo 
singer if I’d been learnt.” At yet another time, “ I 
know I might have wrote if I’d tried ; I made a real 
good piece once.” 

After one of her “ tantrums ” she frankly said to me, 
“ You may pay all attention to your literary labors now, 
and I will try after this to bring my mind down to my 
work, and be contented.” 

I thanked her sincerely, but not without some inner 
communings upon my utter inability to free myself from 
such annoyances so long as we placed our hopes upon a 
“Peggotty.” 

Not long after the foregoing permission, so graciously 
granted me, “ Peggotty’s ” mind was again under a cloud. 


98 PEGOOTTY SIXTH GEOWS SENTIMENTAL. 


She seemed to he suffering from a mental or physical 
equinoctial, for which there was no accounting by aught 
'ke or I had said or even thought. 


CHAPTEK XII. 

PEGGOTTY SIXTH GROWS SENTIMENTAL. 

One morning she was stricken with a voluble mood, 
and coming to my room, threw herself into one corner 
of the lounge, and began to unbosom her former woes, 
and explain to me what had caused her spirits to flow 
through such stagnant pools of anger and moroseness. 

“ I thought I would tell you what it is that keeps me 
a thinking, and a thinking, till I don’t know what to 
make of it; I can’t think what it means.” With a 
quick nervous utterance, that almost defied my following 
her, broken in upon by attacks of giggling and simpering, 
and showery interludes, she related her experience to me. 
I learned from her rambling that she either had, or 
imagined she had, had in her younger days an exceed- 
ingly slight hope of “ having a beau; ” that she was much 
joked about it, as doubtless would be the case with her 
peculiarities ; that it did not amount to anything, and 
the consequent disappointment and worriment of mind 
in deciding “ what they meant ” by the many jokes 
cracked at her expense had effected her mind sadly. To 


PEGQOTTY SIXTH GROWS SENTIMENTAL, 99 


use her own words, it almost killed me ; I came near 
dying.” (Here she drooped her head and simpered.) “ My 
nervous system, the doctor said, was all broke to pieces, 
I’d worked so hard and worried so. What plagued me 
was, I didn’t know what they meant by it (sobs and 
tears). Did they mean to insult me ? I ain’t a fool. Did 
they think I was ? Maybe I am, but I didn’t know it. 
What did they mean ? that’s what I wanted to know 
then, and I wish I knew now.” 

Her story amounted to nothing more than this, yet it 
was two hours before she subsided, and her thoughts 
returned to sublunary trifles, such as her unwashed 
breakfast dishes. 

I was considerably excited from the double effect of 
repression of mirth, and the discovery I had just made, 
that again was I in the power of a deranged person. 
This then was the secret of her eccentricities, her pouts, 
her tears, her ravings, that I had thought ill-temper ; the 
jealous watchfulness for some intended imposition was 
hut the effect of a deranged mind, that for some un- 
known reason had for a short period been more calm than 
usual; hut now some equally unknown agency had 
roused it into full vigor. 

After her burst of confidence she went to her work 
singing a melancholy “ solo ” of her own composition, 
adjusting first a bit of Shall we gather at the ree-e-ver 
where bright angel feet have trod ? ” to her notes, then 
continuing the same air with the words, “ We’re almost 


100 PEGGOTTT SIXTH GROWS SENTIMENTAL. 


there to-day, and may be there to-morrow,” etc., until I 
almost hoped she would be. 

When he came home I told him of the distressing 
discovery. Of course he did not “ believe it.” “ I know 
she is odd as ‘ Dick’s hat band,’ but do not alarm your- 
self about her being crazy ; she does not know enough.” 

In vain I quoted Dr. Ray’s opinion upon the subject, 
that a person bom of sound mind would never become 
insane. It was useless, I could not convince him ; he was 
positive that she had not sufficient mental capital to be- 
come insane. For the next month I had cause daily to 
note symptoms of mental disturbance ; her disposition 
showed as many different phases as though it had been a 
barometer, and indicated the changes of our New Eng- 
land climate. 8he had hours more pleasant and social 
than I had ever known of her before, which changed in 
the twinkling of an eye to ugliness and muttered threats 
of leaving. “ I am tired of being waiter for the lady ; 
you may get another to answer your bell or wait on your- 
self,” which fits of murmuring would change as suddenly 
to tears or sadness, and all the intermittent stages and 
phases imaginable. 

Vainly I urged that she must leave ; it was becoming 
unendurable ; that I had rather be alone and live upon 
crackers. 

The crackers convinced him that I was growing des- 
perate, but not that she was otherwise than odd. I 
was learning to sympathize with the old man that said 


PEGQOTTT SIXTH GROWS SEXTIMENTIAL. IQl 

Satan owed me a grudge, and paid it with son-in- 
laws,” except that in my case for “ son-in-laws ” I sub- 
stituted “ Peggotties.” 

He began to think that there was cause for her to leave, 
as it was so completely unnerving me, if for nothing 
else, and he had to own that she was growing more queer 
than ever, yet she cunningly avoided any outburts in his 
sight or hearing, but was apparently under great re- 
straint during his presence, and would retreat to a rock- 
ing chair in a corner, where, two-thirds hidden by the 
flower stand, she would remain, unless her work called 
her elsewhere, and then she would retreat again to her 
comer with bowed head, and become perfectly silent. 

He was surprised that I should tell him, that in his 
absence she was singing discordant jargon, of various 
popular hymns, from morning till night ; that she neg- 
lected her work. “ Why not discharge her the next time 
she is saucy? ” 

“ I dare not. When I am alone with her she will be 
so violent.” 

“ You are mistaken ; she will go quietly enough. It is 
not as if she were an ordinary servant, and Irish too ; 
she is an American, which makes all the difference in the 
world.” 

I said nothing, but thought my past experience did 
not prove that statement true. Finally he promised to 
take the duty upon himself. 


102 PEGGOTTT GETS ON HER HIGH HORSE. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

PEGGOTTY GETS ON HER HIGh’hORSE, AND KESIAH 
REBELS. 

The opportunity soon arrived. 'He came home to tea. 
A glance as we took our places at the table showed that 
“ Peggotty ” had left her place vacant. A look around 
the room revealed her, as Itltely had been her manner, 
crouched in the corner, half hidden from view. Aren’t 
you going to take supper to-night ? ” asked he, pleas- 
antly. . 

“ I’ve eat,” answered she, snappishly. It was false, un- 
less she had taken a “ nummit ” very slyly. 

In the evening I told him of her behavior during the 
day. . ■ ' ‘ - 

“ Well, we will wait till to-morrow and see.”- 

And. we did see ! As we came out to breakfast, I bade 
her good morning. She replied in a sulky manner, and 
he and I assumed our places at the table. ‘‘Peggotty ” 
placed her left hand on the back of her chair, waved her 
other tragically toward a table' at the right, her face 
flamed and streaked itself with chalky lines, her voice 
struggled and choked with the effort to speak, lightning 
flashed from her usually stupid eyes, and with difficulty 


PEGaOTTT GETS ON EER HIGH EORSK 103 


she said, “ I might take ray breakfast to the side table, 
and not eat with you, if you would like to have me.” 

The remark was pointless except that her manner. was 
unmistakably that of a deranged person, which was what 
I had been hoping would chance when he was present, 
that he might have actual knowledge of the fact. 

Feeling more courageous in his presence, I questioned 
her at once to know what the cause of her conduct 
was; if she had any reason* for dissatisfaction to simply 
say so. 

“And go!” shrieked she. Then after a moment’s 
sudden silence in a low calm voice, “but I won’t quarrel 
with you Sunday morning.” 

“ Certainly not, nor any other morning. I never quar- 
rel.” 

“ Neither does ‘ Peggotty,’ and if anybody says I am 
quarrelsome they lie-e-e was shrieked sufficiently pene- 
trating to reach the “ returning board ” in Louisiana. 

Later in the day, he took it upon himself, and informed 
her it was best for all that our paths should separate a 
while, and she was at liberty to seek a more congenial 
situation ; he would give her a week’s notice, with the 
understanding that she was to do her work pleasantly 
for the ensuing time. 

There was no reply, from her for sometime, then a 
shriek, “ What am I discharged for ? In what way have 
I shown that I was dissatisfied ? Answer. me !” 

• He stated two or three of the most pointed offences. 


104 PEOGOTTY GETS ON HER HIGH HORSE. 


“ That is not enough.” 

‘‘Yes, it is,” he said ; “I do not intend to hold an 
argument upon the subject.” 

“ It is not enough for being turned out of doors. I> 
wont go — I never was turned out — I won’t be ! ” Then 
she murmured in a low sad tone, “ But there must be a 
first time to all things.” Then her voice grew excited 
again, “ I came here in good faith — I done your work 
well — I have not ransacked your things — I have been 
saving — I am honest — I have heard things about you 
and said nothing — I’ve been asked things, but ‘ Peg- 
gotty ’ was silent — I liked you — ^but you haven’t treated 
me well to turn me out of doors — but I’ll go ! I’ll go,” 
and became suddenly silent. 

“ When will you go ? ” asked he. 

“ In the morning ; that is,” in a malicious tone, “ if 
you have kept run of the time and can pay me.” He 
called to me to write a receipt for her to sign, counted 
out her “shillings,” and her accounts with us were 
squared for all time. But she surprised us too, by hav- 
ing her bill all carried out to date, thus showing that in 
spite of her professed anger at receiving her discharge, 
she was in reality only forestalled in her plan to leave us. 

The morning came after another sleepless night lest 
some accident might occur. The morning found her 
quiet, but with glittering, restless eyes. Never since her 
arrival had she appeared so much like a rational being, 
or conversed with such a natural sociality. Whether she 


PEGQOTTY^ETS OK HER HIGH HORSE. 105 


hoped the change would strike us favorably, and we 
should decide to hire her over again, or not, we did not 
learn. 

It was with pleasure we saw her take her departure. 
She gave him a parting shot, saying she wished him “In 
your sober moments, if you ever have any, think of me.” 

And so endeth the reign of “ Peggotty ” the sixths 
and I declared myself free and independent of the whole 
race of “ Peggotties ” now and henceforth. 

“ So mote it he,” said he in response. “We will go to 
some quiet hotel and hoard. You shall never be left 
alone in a house again with another ‘ Peggotty.’ ” 

May he never backslide from his conversion. 


AFFIX. 

After a careful revision of the foregoing, I feel that it would be 
unjust, not to acknowledge the one fault, that renders the whole 
untrue, or rather a gross misrepresentation — i. e., the half has not 
been told, nor that half as highly tinted as the truth demands, 
and “a half truth is no truth.” We have now unused capital 
on hand sufficient for half a dozen volumes of the same stamp. 

We have presented a picture that the middle classes in New 
England who employ “help” (not servants) will fully appreciate, 
and will ask their neighbors, “ how ‘ Kesiah Shelton ’ knew any- 
thing about our family affairs, is a mystery to us — did you teU 
her, Mrs. Smith ? I do wonder how she knew ; I’m sure I do not 
know her. ” Critics that are unacquainted with the peculiar mode 


106 PEQQOTTT GETS ON HER HIGH HORSE. 


of living and the status of help in such families, in the six North- 
eastern States of the U. S. A., mU unhesitatingly pronounce the 
whole a caricature, and a fabrication of the boldest nature. 

To the mercy of friend and foe we consign this sketch of New 
England “ help ” and their helpless mistresses. 

Truly thine, 

Ntmtatt Shez/ton. 

On this Slst July, 1874, did then personally appear before me, 
Kesiah Shelton, who did then upon her solemn oath declare, that 
the foregoing was true, to the best of her knowledge and belief. 

SmoN SuPEBFiNE, Esq., 

Notary Public. 

I beg the public to believe that I am not in the habit of swear- 
ing ; this is the first time, and I would never have done it but for 
fear of the law. K. S. 


THE END. 


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